McDonald is a 1983 Distinguished Military Graduate from the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University.  He served seven years active duty in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) in the U.S. Army, and his assignments included prosecutor with the First Infantry Division in Europe during the First Persian Gulf War and Chief of the Criminal Law Division at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas.  He currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. He is a 2004 graduate of Command and General Staff College and a 2009 graduate of Air War College.

            McDonald has practiced law for 23 years.  His broad legal experience includes insurance defense, personal injury, business disputes and general practice law.  McDonald believes his experience on both sides of the bar, in both civil and criminal law, will provide a balanced court that gives justice and equal treatment to all parties.  McDonald is a lifelong Republican and will bring a conservative judicial philosophy and common sense approach to the law.  He will work to develop the mentorship program for juvenile offenders.  The new County Court at Law was created to relieve an overcrowded docket, and McDonald will work hard to run an efficient court on a conservative budget.  As a father, husband and small business owner, he understands the stewardship of working within a budget.

            McDonald has served Van Zandt County and the State of Texas as a leader in an organization affiliated with the International ALERT Academy based in Big Sandy, Texas.  ALERT (Air, Land, Emergency Resource Team) assists law enforcement and government authorities throughout the United States in times of crisis and natural disaster, and has been recognized by the Texas State Legislature and the Office of Emergency Management.  Last fall, ALERT assisted local Van Zandt County authorities in the search for a drowning victim at Lake Fork, and Smith County authorities in the search for a lost child in Lindale.  McDonald is the Regional Coordinator for Texas and several surrounding states for the father/son component, ALERT Cadets.  He spearheaded the joint deployment of ALERT Cadet fathers and sons with ALERT to Bridge City, Texas, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike in September 2008.

          McDonald has roots in Van Zandt County. His paternal grandparents, Otto and Della McDonald, sharecropped at Martins Mill in the early 1900’s and his uncle was born there in 1915.  His maternal grandparents immigrated from Czechoslovakia in the early 1900’s and raised 13 children in El Campo, Texas.  Randy was raised in Texas City in Galveston County, and graduated from Texas City High School as President of his senior class.  In his younger years, McDonald traveled the United States giving skateboard exhibitions to various groups. 

Randy McDonald has been married to his wife Gayle for 24 years, and they have six children.  They live in Ben Wheeler and are active members of Lakeside Baptist Church in Canton.

            Robert Fitzgerald of Van, Texas is serving as his Campaign Treasurer. McDonald asks for your support and vote in the Republican Primary on March 2nd.