(Meal provided by Traditions)

I was born and raised here in Texas. My parents, who live here in Tyler, taught me to believe that success means following God’s calling and serving your community. My parents raised me by the principle that being successful was not about making money or achieving a certain social status. My father, Jerry Putman, modeled this for us when he retired from his medical practice to work full-time with Mercy Ships. He and my step-mother moved to Africa to open a medical clinic. My brother served our country by attending West Point Military Academy, followed by service in the US Army, where he was deployed to Iraq. My sister’s calling to serve has been fulfilled as a specialized teacher for the hearing impaired. My mother has been a frequent volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and Samaritan’s purse.

I graduated from Grace Community High School in Tyler. In addition to the excellent education I received at Grace Community, it is also where I met the love of my life, Rachael. After high school, I attended Wheaton College and graduated from there in 2005.

A month after graduation, Rachael and I were married at the First Baptist Church here in Tyler. Rachael’s nursing job supported us while I attended law school at Oklahoma City University School of Law. After graduation, Rachael and I moved back to Texas and I sat for the Texas Bar Exam. I received my license in November and began working for the Smith County District Attorney’s Office in December of 2008.

Throughout law school, I knew I wanted to be a prosecutor. As a prosecutor, my clients are the people of the State of Texas. This means my job is to see that justice is done, no matter what. I aways knew that I wasn’t interested in trying to make my client more money or trying to get a guilty person set free. My desire was and is to know that justice is done.

Prosecuting in the misdemeanor section was an eye-opening experience. Even though I grew up in Smith County, I had no idea the extent to which crime affected everyone in our community regardless of status. After two years of prosecuting misdemeanors, I was promoted to a felony prosecutor position. For 6 years I have been prosecuting some of Smith County’s most serious offenders. I have tried numerous felony cases, including Capital Murder, Murder, Intoxication Manslaughter, Robbery, Sexual Assault, and Child Sexual and Physical Abuse.

Getting justice for the victims in our community is important to me because this is my home. Rachael and I are active members of our church, Bethel Bible Church, where I have taught Sunday School, and now have the privilege of serving as a deacon. We have two daughters, Cora, who is four-years-old and Tessa who is one-year-old. I am passionate about locking up those who are a threat to our community so I can protect my family and yours.

I have spent the last eight years serving this community as a prosecutor. Every day I have gone to work to help victims and prosecute those who threaten the safety of our families. My family lives here. This is our home. I am asking for your vote for Smith County District Attorney because I want to serve this community. I want to make Smith County a safer place for your family and mine.

Statement of Faith
I believe in the God of the Holy Bible. I believe He created all things and that we are fallen beings in need of God’s salvation. I believe He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, and that He is the only true hope of salvation. As a child of God, I believe He calls us to serve Him and serve our community by sharing His good news and making disciples.