Carol Griffin is running again for coroner, this time as a write-in candidate.

“I didn’t run in the primary this time. I felt I’d lose,” Griffin said. “I’ve run twice before as Democrat against Danny. I’m not ashamed to say I’m a Democrat.”

The incumbent, Danny Galpin ran as a Republican this year and defeated challenger Cam Bryant in the primary election July 20, with 5,985 votes or 68.86 percent to Bryant's 2,707 votes or 31.14 percent. Now he faces a challenger for the Nov. 2 general election.

Griffin is the director of the Women’s Center at the Houston Medical Center, and used to be house supervisor at the morgue.

“Years ago, I used to work for the coroner as a secretary when they had the part-time position,” she said. Griffin feels strongly that it’s time for someone else to be coroner.

“When I read things in the paper that I know are not right, I felt obligated to run,” she said. “The coroner needs to be changed after 20 years.”

Some of the things she sees as not right:

“The current coroner just accepts the word of law enforcement and handles it on the phone,” Griffin said.

She said she has confidence in local law enforcement, but “there are certain times when a coroner needs to go to the scene, to investigate, especially suicides.

“I love forensics,” she said. “I have time for the training, I’m ready to do it.”

Griffin said taking the 40-hour coroner certification class would not be a problem. She just recently completed a three-day forensic nursing session.

Griffin also is concerned that families are not being notified and given information in a timely manner. There needs to be sympathy along with empathy, she said.

“This is a major event for the family of the deceased,” Griffin said.

Griffin said Galpin has talked for some time about getting things up on the Web.

“But he said he’s used a manual typewriter for 16 years,” she said. “Which is it?”

She admits with her write-in candidacy the biggest challenge will be getting the word out. The actual voting has been made easier with the new voting machines, Griffin said.

“All you have to do is touch the screen for ‘write-in’ and a keyboard pops up to type in a name. That name needs to be Carol Griffin.”

Griffin formally announced her intent to run as a write-in candidate ran in the legals section in The Houston Home Journal.