Fellow Democrat Adrian Garcia also secured another term as Precinct 2 commissioner, defeating Republican Jack Morman, who held the seat before Garcia won it four years ago. He has also reported on local politics for both papers. With varying results coming from the few public polls conducted on the race, there is little consensus on where things stand heading into the final weeks of the campaign. "Because Lina has funded more full-time social workers than she has sheriff deputies.". The impending takeover of HISD by the TEA dates back to 2019, when Wheatley High School triggered a state law by failing to meet accountability standards for seven consecutive years. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Commissioner Adrian Garcia were set to cruise through local primary elections Tuesday night, but a slew of incumbent judges faced bleaker outcomes at the district courthouse. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo at a Commissioners Court meeting in February 2020. I sincerely appreciate your vote of confidence in electing me. Her opponent, Republican challenge . Harris County judgeLina Hidalgotalks to her supporters at a primaries election night party, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston. Onward! 1 of 11 Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo greets her supporters at a primaries election night party at Axelrad Beer Garden, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston. 2022 / 08:13 AM CST . Texas 2022 Elections Texas' 2022 races coming into focus as candidate filings close. Heres what you need to know. During her campaign, Hidalgo said she was also subjected to smears, attacks, and the "dirtiest political tricks" from statewide leaders like Gov. Hidalgo's victory helped secure a 4-1 Democratic majority on the court that was sealed after former civil court judge Lesley Briones beat incumbent Republican commissioner Jack Cagle for the Precinct 4 seat. The indictment, filed by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, centered around the awarding of an $11 million county contract to Elevate Strategies, a local Houston company whose founder Felicity Pereyra had previously worked on Democratic campaigns. . In her victory speech, Hidalgo criticized local figures who contributed to her opponent, throwing shade at Mattress Mack, who notably did not take kindly to the judge referring to him as a "furniture salesman." I also want to thank Ms. Mealer for a hard-fought campaign & her military service. HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas (ValleyCentral) - The race for Hidalgo County Judge has two candidates on the Republican ticket, something that is rare in the Rio Grande Valley. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo gives a speech at the Harris County Democratic Party headquarters after being reelected for a second term on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022 in Houston. Candidates Richard Cortez (incumbent), Norma Ramirez, and Tania Ramirez will each have 30 minutes to discuss their stance on the biggest challenges facing colonia residents and RGV residents. We'll ask them about immigration and the border, climate-fueled flooding, broadband internet, and more. "Truth won over lies." In the first post-redistricting election members are divided into two classes; one class shall serve a 2-year term and the other class shall serve a 4-year term. The Democratic incumbent has touted her response to the COVID-19 pandemicincluding supporting measures like drive-thru voting to help make it easier to voterecord investments in the county toward early childhood education, and creation of a legal defense fund for immigrants under her leadership. A sixth criminal judge, Jason Luong of the 185th district court, also trailed in his election but appeared headed for a runoff. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo high-fives a woman in the front row during an abortion rights rally organized by Beto O'Rourke at Discovery Green on Saturday, May 7, 2022 in Houston. Previously, she was a community news and breaking news reporter for the Austin American-Statesman. . "She does seem to evoke strong emotions in either party. Mealer is hoping to kneecap Hidalgos rising political career just four years after the Democrat unseated Republican Ed Emmett in her first-ever run for political office, completing a Democratic takeover of the nations third-largest county. Commissioner Jack and Janet Cagle, center, at his election night party at Maize's Restaurant in Houston. "I want to thank her for her concession and I want to thank her again for her service to our country so let's give her a round of applause." Is Whataburger healthy? According to a new University of Houston poll, Mealer holds a slight lead with Election Day just two weeks away and early voting already underway. Dan Patrick, as well as her fellow commissioners Jack Cagle and Tom Ramsey. Welcome to the Hidalgo County Elections Department! "They do that to get you talking about everything but Harris County. Elections Harris County election results 2022: County judge, commissioners, propositions. Tensions ran high as the court's two Republican members skipped the meeting, blocking the three Democrats from passing their proposed tax rate unless they agreed to specific terms for funding law enforcement. The pressure grew even greater in September after Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey and Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle successfully delayed the county tax rate vote after skipping several meetings. Lina Hidalgo ( Democratic Party) is the Harris County Judge in Texas. Their Republican opponents will need runoffs to determine winners. This is a carousel. Harris County judge candidates . Before coming to the Chronicle, Jen spent three years covering City Hall for Houston's NPR station. Early voting will begin Monday, October 24, 2022 and will run through. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo greets people in line outside West Grey Multi-Service Center, 1475 W Gray St., on Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Houston. The intense exchange was just one of many instances in which the lieutenant governor has openly rejected Hidalgo. Another administrative incumbent, Harris County Treasurer Dylan Osborne, appeared headed for defeat as well, trailing challenger Carla Wyatt. Don't elect their candidate for County Judge" or something and avoided a poor fact checking result. While Mealer and other GOP candidates running for seats on Commissioners Court have maintained an intense focus on crime and public safety, those issues are far from the only challenges facing Harris County government, which also is responsible for planning out billions of dollars in flood control projects, overseeing development in unincorporated areas and running public health institutions that provide treatment for a large share of the county's uninsured, low-income residents. Updated: Jun 18, 2021 / 01:46 PM CDT. "That is a key priority," Hidalgo said. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 2. McGuinness previously covered the Rhode Island statehouse for the Associated Press and breaking news for the Boston Globe. That is not guaranteed, though, given the narrow nature of their leads and the in-limbo status of the set-aside ballots. First Day of Early Voting. WHEN: Friday, Feb 4th, 2022, at 5 pm ### LUPE is a nonprofit organization that helps the community organize for and win a better quality of life. For several election cycles, Houston-area voters have favored Democrats over Republicans. Saturday, January 1, 2022. With 205 of 259 precincts reporting in the Democratic primary, Ruben Ramirez was leading in the race for U.S. Representative . The board praised her plans to combat violent crime in the county and promises to clear a backlog of criminal cases at the courthouse. Democratic County Judge Lina Hidalgo beat Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer by more than 18,000 votes. A strong gender gap exists in the vote for county judge, with Hidalgo holding a 12% lead over del Moral Mealer among women (52% to 40%), while del Moral Mealer . BY THE NUMBERS: Republicans say violent crime is up, Dems say it's down. As County judge, she oversees an annual budget of $4.3 billion with four other County commissioners (who all happen to be men). Coln, the GOP strategist, said Hidalgo is looking to infuse other cultural issues into the campaign to draw attention away from the fact that she's made Harris County a more dangerous place.. Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo greets her supporters at a primaries election night party at Axelrad Beer Garden, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston. Sort of. Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, This is what Houston looks like from space, Turner: TEA is giving Houston ISD two optionsclose school or be taken over, Two ocelots were photographed crossing a road in rare South Texas sighting, Houston Rockets poised to reap benefits from Eric Gordon trade, Willie Nelson's new album is a lovely tribute to a fellow country legend, Hiker captures 'once-in-a-lifetime' photo of wildlife at Brazos Bend State Park, Why Johnson City in Texas Hill Country is the new, cooler Fredericksburg. She has defended the staffers, who are accused of steering a vaccine outreach contract to a politically connected vendor. She enjoys traveling and reading romance novels. Houston still trails well behind other big cities around the country, many of which experienced a sharper rise in violent crime. Ellie Torres (D) Hidalgo County Constable Precinct 5. 2022 Updated: 5:24 PM CST November 9, 2022 . Code 7.104] 2 All State Senate seats are up for election in 2022 following redistricting in 2021. She's responsible for emergency management, which means she's in charge when disasters strike, whether that comes in the form of chemical fires, floods, a pandemic or power grid failures during a historic winter storm . This Houston rodeo food vendor wants you to eat his rattlesnake, Astros GM Dana Brown has more praise team's top prospect, Heres how you can watch 'Daisy Jones and the Six', Proposed Texas bill gives tax cuts to heterosexual families only, These bites won big at the Houston rodeo's foodie awards. Two family court judges, Tristan Longino of the 245th district court and Barbara Stalder of the 280th, also trailed in early results, along with Scot Dollinger of the 189th district civil court. A native of San Francisco, he graduated from Northwestern University in 2017 with degrees in journalism and political science, and has interned for the Tampa Bay Times, Washington Post and Fortune magazine. Alexandra del Moral Mealer and attorney Vidal Martinez were leading the nine-candidate Republican field for the GOPs nomination for county judge. Campaign finance reports also showed Mealer outraised Hidalgo with $10 million in the campaign chest. . 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Joaquin Castro diagnosed with cancer, undergoes surgery, Texas House Speaker appoints committee for gun legislation, Santa Fe families still denied video, records from 2018 shooting. Terry Palacios wins Democratic nomination in Hidalgo County district attorney race, unofficial election results show 1 year 13 hours 11 minutes ago Tuesday, March 01 2022 Mar 1, 2022 March 01 . She's challenging Democratic incumbent Lina Hidalgo to become the chief executive over county government and head of the Commissioners Court. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo looks back at Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner before they gave a joint press conference about growing Monkeypox infections Monday, July 25, 2022, at Houston TranStar headquarters in Houston. Jasper Scherer covers Texas politics and government for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. 2022 Wave elections; More often, though, her campaign rhetoric has focused on fending off attacks from Mealer and throwing her own punches at the GOP nominee. art. Mealer is trying to take full advantage, blanketing the airwaves with campaign ads and outspending the incumbent overall. Friday, November 4, 2022. Hidalgo cited the two Republicans blockade of a new tax rate as justification, saying they endangered vital county services. Throughout her reelection campaign, Hidalgo faced an onslaught of criticism from state Republicans, including Gov. Many pundits have said these races are too close to call, and early vote returns reflect that these races are tight, Sims said. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo made passing reference to Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale and other prominent endorsers of her political opponent Alex Mealer during a Wednesday victory speech. This is due to Hidalgo facing scrutiny over allegations of not doing enough to combat a rise in crime and an ongoing lawsuit over an $11 million COVID-19 outreach . That means our county judge must be ready to lead our community through these challenges and toward a thriving future. The poll, which surveyed nearly 1,000 likely election voters, has Mealer leading 48 percent to Hidalgo's 44 percent. . Texas GOP may censure Tony Gonzales over gay marriage, gun votes, Rep. Joaquin Castro's health plan points to a new Texas trend, Rep. Joaquin Castro diagnosed with cancer, undergoes surgery, Texas House Speaker appoints committee for gun legislation, Santa Fe families still denied video, records from 2018 shooting. ", 'POLITICS OF PERCEPTION': Hidalgo, Harris County Dems hope for boost from abortion, national trends, but races still competitive over crime, economy. The Early Voting results were reported shortly after the polls closed, Election Day results will be reported, and the remainder of the reconciliation process will continue over the next few days, as we prioritize accuracy over speed, Longorias office said in a statement. "I want to thank Alex Mealer for running a hard-fought campaign," Hidalgo began. March 2022 marks an unusually crowded primary season for Harris County politics, with three Harris County . . Early voting in the March primary begins on Valentine's Day. Democrats have won every countywide contest since 2016, including Hidalgos own upset win over popular incumbent Ed Emmett in 2018. Election mishaps and conflicting court rulings introduced a degree of uncertainty about when the results would become official. Dozens of supporters for Alexandra del Moral Mealer, the Republican candidate challenging Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, packed the room at the Sept. 13 meeting of Commissioners Court, each wearing "Alex's Army" T-shirts and loudly scoffing when Hidalgo spoke. IN THIS EPISODE: Alexandra Del Moral Mealer, the GOP Candidate running for Harris County Judge, talks about what led to her jump on the campaign trail with a goal to unseat incumbent candidate . She beat Emmett by just over 19,000 votes, out of 1.1 million cast in the race, and 86 percent of her votes came from Democrats who cast straight-ticket ballots, a practice the Texas Legislature since has ended. Five lower-ballot Republicans had narrow advantages for criminal or civil court benches, though Democrats were leading in most contests. Austin, TX, October 4, 2022 A new poll out Tuesday shows voters prefer Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer to incumbent Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo 48 to 44 percent, with 8 percent undecided.. On behalf of the conservative Defend Texas Liberty Political Action Committee (PAC), CWS Research conducted the survey of 900 likely voters in Harris County between September 24 and October 1. Both candidates have highlighted their ethnicityin their campaigns: Hidalgo was born in Colombia and immigrated with her family to the U.S. in 2005, while Mealer's paternal grandfather immigrated from Spain. Hidalgo has held the position since defeating then-incumbent and longtime County . Mealer calls Hidalgo's campaign strategy dishonest and has criticized Hidalgo for focusing on abortion rights, a policy area the county judge has no authority over. Monday, February 14, 2022. ", Thank you to all those who supported our campaign for good governance pic.twitter.com/ZnjLvtQVTO. On Twitter Wednesday morning, Hidalgo celebrated her win, tweeting: "Yesterday, the people of Harris County chose optimism over fear & people over politics. Hidalgo appeared to gain some breathing room over the summer, when public backlash to the Supreme Courts scrapping of Roe v Wade provided a boost to Democrats around the country. Hidalgo has refused campaign contributions from county contractors since the start of her term, aiming to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. Members of Commissioners Court historically have relied heavily on firms that do business with the county to stockpile huge campaign war chests. Hector de Leon, who works for the county clerk's office that used to oversee elections, analyzed early vote data to show some turnout trends among different demographic categories. In the Precinct 4 Commissioner's race, Lesley Briones, the Democratic challenger to Republican incumbent Jack Cagle, had 121,391 votes (51.62 percent) to Cagle's 113,774 (48.38 percent). Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke is leading . HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas (KVEO) Hidalgo County's judge will seek to keep his position for four more years in 2022. Vendor Portal . Hidalgo, Garcia cruise through primary, while incumbent judges struggle, Timeline: How battle between Houston ISD, TEA has reached the point of a looming takeover. Mealer, a combat veteran who served in Afghanistan, says she wants the county to go back to the basics and has said she will hire 1,000 additional law enforcement officers if elected and Republicans win a majority on Commissioners Court. They attributed the delay to damaged ballot sheets that must be duplicated before they can be scanned by counting machines, according to Secretary of State John Scotts office. A new study says yes. As Hidalgo's woes multiplied in commissioners court, her political opponent continued to rack up high-dollar contributions from well-heeled conservative donors. Monday, January 31, 2022. According to Harris County officials, Patrick told Hidalgo to sit down and shut up multiple times at the funeral. Sort of. At first, there was little sign she would face a serious re-election threat, with Harris County appearing to solidify as a Democratic stronghold by 2020. Democrats also have a 12-point historic edge in Precinct 2, where Garcia's lead over his challenger and predecessor, Morman, had grown to 5 percentage points by 4 a.m. Pct. Like most other candidates, Mealer is accepting campaign donations from county contractors. Hidalgo, meanwhile, raised about $2.4 million in . The GOP race to face Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is getting nasty. She enjoys binge-watching anime and films makeup tutorials in her spare time. It doesn't need to be that way. Hidalgo's reelection campaign also suffered a blow following an unexpected endorsement from the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board co-signing Mealer. Lina Hidalgo throws shade at 'furniture salesman' Mattress Mack during victory speech, Mayor: HISD has two optionsclose school or be taken over, Rare photos show 2 ocelots crossing South Texas road, Eric Gordon trade looking better and better for Houston Rockets, Willie Nelson pays lovely tribute to another country legend, Hiker takes 'once-in-a-lifetime' photo at Brazos Bend State Park, This Texas Hill Country town is the new, cooler Fredericksburg. Another well-to-do donor on the list of Mealer supporters is beloved Houston Gallery Furniture salesman Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, who cut televised endorsements for Hidalgo's challenger and would go on to publicly tussle with the judge after her campaign's end. . Come find out at a candidate forum hosted by LUPE and LUPE Votes this Friday, February 4th at 5 pm online. Austin, TX, February 8, 2022 With increasingly heated discussions over public safety and rising homicide rates, and a grand jury investigation over an $11 million vaccine outreach contract looming, multiple Democratic and Republican candidates have filed for a chance to challenge Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo in 2022.. Hidalgo faces five challengers in the Democratic primary, most . More than 80 percent of Mealer's contributions were spent on advertising, while Hidalgo spent more than 87 percent, according to a report from Community Impact. The balance of the five-member court is at stake in this election, with three incumbents up for re-election in competitive races. 2023 Commissioner's Court Meetings Calendar. The contract was ultimately rescinded, and Hidalgo has continuously defended her office and aides in relation to the indictment. HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's political future is on the line for 2022. (Jon Shapley, Staff photographer), Bun B, Badu, J.J. Watt celebrate RodeoHouston Southern Takeover, Exclusive: Abbott explains push against diversity hiring programs. While Hidalgo has raised millions from small-dollar donors, she has struggled to keep pace with Mealer, who reported a fundraising haul of $4.9 million from July 1 through Sept. 29, the latest period covered by public campaign finance reports. Those voters had plenty of reasons for their own enthusiasm, including the implementation of a strict abortion ban by Republicans in Texas, and a relatively competitive gubernatorial contest. WINNERS AND LOSERS: Who won and who lost in the 2022 midterm elections across Houston and rest of Texas? For the last couple months, Hidalgo has assailed Mealer for not taking a stance on Texas abortion ban, including through a TV ad that says Mealer is staying silent while womens lives are in danger. In an effort to paint Mealer as a far-right extremist, Hidalgo has accused her of sowing doubt in the election results and being blindly loyal to former president Donald Trump. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer. We earned them with hard work and with results over the past four years.". Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Our nation is too divided right now and it's been divided for too many years," Hidalgo said.