While Commissioners Court and the county judge have little practical authority over abortion policy, Hidalgo has argued the court plays a role through its oversight of the county hospital system, which provides reproductive care to residents. 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. (Jon Shapley, Staff photographer), Bun B, Badu, J.J. Watt celebrate RodeoHouston Southern Takeover, Exclusive: Abbott explains push against diversity hiring programs. By the time candidates began announcing for the 2022 Texas primaries in mid-November, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, chief executive of the county that includes Houston, seemed to have safely . Instead, the ad makes a specific claim about Mealer and a specific policy. In 2022, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo had the odds stacked against her in a challenging campaign year to keep her top position in the county. Its rattlesnake season in Texas. In February, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick criticized Hidalgo for where she decided to stand at the memorial service of slain Harris County Pct. Republican Harris County Judge candidate Alexandra del Moral Mealer talks to supporters during her watch party at Kirby Ice House on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 in Houston. He initially joined the paper through the Hearst Journalism Fellowship program after covering the same beats for the San Antonio Express-News. Hidalgo also faced more specific challenges, including her fundraising disadvantage and a corruption probe. LUPE is a nonprofit organization that helps the community organize for and win a better quality of life. Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared at a rally Tuesday supporting Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo . Her leadership has been recognized through several awards and national awards, especially for her response to the COVID-19 pandemic and received recognition for protecting voting rights. Onward! Jasper Scherer covers Texas politics and government for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. Throughout her reelection campaign, Hidalgo faced an onslaught of criticism from state Republicans, including Gov. Incumbent Judge Lina Hidalgo is running for re-election after securing a historic - and surprising - win in 2018. She has defended the staffers, who are accused of steering a vaccine outreach contract to a politically connected vendor. He initially joined the paper through the Hearst Journalism Fellowship program after covering the same beats for the San Antonio Express-News. Three county jurists County Court at Law Judges Franklin Bynum and David Singer, and Probate Judge Michael Newman also were behind in the early tallies. "We believe and we stick to our values and that's what we brought to county government," Hidalgo told supporters at the Sam Houston Hotel late Tuesday, appearing with fellow Democrats Garcia and Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis. "No one really knows what the county judge does. ", "Sure she had almost $10 million in the bank, a U.S. senator, a furniture salesman, unscrupulous folks who were willing to tell lies, and a baffling editorial board endorsement representing the establishment," Hidalgo said. Surrounded by fellow Democrats, Lina Hidalgo delivered victory remarks and passing jabs at her detractors during a Wednesday afternoon speech following herdefeat of Republican challenger Alex Mealer in Tuesday's Harris County judge election. Hidalgo County Clerk. McGuinness previously covered the Rhode Island statehouse for the Associated Press and breaking news for the Boston Globe. Among those trailing are five criminal district court judges: Chuck Silverman, 183rd district court; Abigail Anastasio, 184th; Greg Glass, 208th; and Amy Martin, 263rd. Hidalgo has scoffed at Mealers police hiring pledge, pointing to the countys more than 400 unfilled law enforcement positions. Welcome to Hidalgo County! 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. Austin, TX, April 22, 2022 Republicans Vidal Martinez and Alexandra del Moral Mealer have hit the campaign trail in what has become a heated runoff race for a chance to replace Democratic incumbent Lina Hidalgo as Harris County judge.. Quick Links. Their Republican opponents will need runoffs to determine winners. Updated: Jun 18, 2021 / 01:46 PM CDT. A native Houstonian, Jen graduated from Barnard College at Columbia University and earned a master's degree from University of Texas at Austin's LBJ School of Public Affairs. Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo is applauded as she arrives at a primaries election night party, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston. According to Harris County officials, Patrick told Hidalgo to sit down and shut up multiple times at the funeral. Emmett (Republican Party) . Elections 2022 Election Guide: Harris County and Texas races to watch . This is a carousel. County Court at Law Judge Lesley Briones and former Harris County elections staffer Benjamin Chou were leading in that race. She's facing challengers . Is Whataburger healthy? 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. 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, a Republican, do not face election this year. Meanwhile, across town at the Kirby Ice House, Mealer said the close margins show voters are paying attention. ), LIVE RESULTS TRACKER: Texas 2022 midterm elections: Live results from Abbott vs. Beto, Hidalgo vs. Mealer and more. Our goal is to provide voters with impeccable, transparent and timely service for a wide variety of county, city, school, state and federal constitutional elections. 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. 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. Jen Rice is a reporter for the Houston Chronicle covering Harris County government. The last-minute celebrity endorsements were one of Hidalgos last campaign moves before the Nov. 8 election. Mealer has focused her campaign on crime and public safety spending, arguing Hidalgo has failed to devote enough funding to county law enforcement amid a rise in violent crime. 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 . What does the data say? If Hidalgo holds on to win, she will have overcome an aggressive re-election fight in a hostile political climate for Democrats. Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo during a COVID-19 press conference in July 2021. Democrats appear headed for victory in the unofficial results of two commissioner contests as well, showings that could expand their majority on Commissioners Court to a 4-1 split. . she shouted to roaring applause. I want to thank each & every voter who showed up to make their voice heard this election. One of the first priorities for newly elected County Judge Lina Hidalgo was to push through an historic 8% property tax increase - the maximum property tax increase allowed. Violent crime in Harris County has become a key issue in the race for County Judge, with one of the candidates unveiling a law enforcement plan in an effort to curb . . Democrats on Tuesday generally faced a hostile climate, with President Joe Bidens lagging approval numbers, the uptick in crime and rising inflation all dragging on their enthusiasm. Democrats have won every countywide contest since 2016, including Hidalgos own upset win over popular incumbent Ed Emmett in 2018. Daniel Marichalar (D) Hidalgo County Criminal District Attorney. Politics A new poll shows the Harris County Judge's race is neck-and-neck. Since July, Republican donors have poured nearly $9 million into Mealer's bid to unseat Hidalgo a staggering haul for a county judge race. LUPE was founded in 1989 by farmworker and civil rights leaders . He said they were watching growing caseloads in other major American cities. They answered questions from the . 2023 Commissioner's Court Meetings Calendar. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office at (956)318-2570. Hidalgo drew support from 45%. 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. Republican challenger Alexandra del Moral Mealer has conceded her bid to unseat Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, with unofficial results show her trailing by just shy of 16,000 votes. The spotlight also fueled speculation she could someday run for larger office, both of which made her a primary target for both local and statewide conservatives. His statement went on to layout the penalty a class B misdemeanor for failing to meet the deadline. TEXAS VOTER GUIDE: The key state and local races that your vote will decide in the November 8 midterm election. Candidate Information Texas Secretary of State. Lawyers for the aides have maintained their innocence. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo tries to win re-election but faces a challenge from Republican Alexandra . Texas 2022 elections: Who won, who lost Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo won reelection after a close race against well-funded opponent Alexandra del Moral Mealer. And the pandemic is deepened inequality and exacerbated existing divisions. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo at a Commissioners Court meeting in February 2020. On election night, Mealer conceded the race after unofficial results showed Hidalgo riding to a comfortable 15,000-vote lead. 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. Updated: . 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. Dan Patrick, as well as her fellow commissioners Jack Cagle and Tom Ramsey. That's why tonight we are hosting a forum with the candidates for Hidalgo County Judge in the Democratic Party Primary. piling up against Hidalgo as Election Day approached, campaign contributions thanks in large part to a number of generous GOP donors, three of her top aides were indicted by a grand jury. 10:46 AM CDT October 23, 2022 . In Precinct 2, former commissioner Jack Morman and Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton led three other candidates. Her current term ends on December 31, 2026. 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 . Ariana Garcia joined Chron in 2021. MLB legend makes surprise appearance at Astros' Spring Training, Houston is ugly, and I've never felt more at home, Texas A&M upset win clears path for UH to snag top overall seed, Oops! 4 candidate Lesley Briones talks to her supporters at her watch party at Cottonwood on N. Shepherd Tuesday Nov. 08,2022.Also pictured are her daughters Catalina, Ana Lucia and Valentina. Join ABC13's political reporter Tom Abrahams as he talks with Democrat County Judge Lina Hidalgo and her Republican opponent, Alexandra del Moral Mealer, about this November's general election. Power-hungry politicians use our home to scapegoat immigrants, divide citizens and enrich wealthy special interests. Another administrative incumbent, Harris County Treasurer Dylan Osborne, appeared headed for defeat as well, trailing challenger Carla Wyatt. Climate damage has fueled storms that flood our region. 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. Hidalgo took . Hidalgo has been forced to play defense on the issue, with Mealer and other Republicans pointing to a rise in homicides and overall violent crime in Harris County. Hidalgo, meanwhile, raised about $2.4 million in . Axios on twitter. "We've worked for a commissioners court that looks like our county and we've worked to make sure that diversity is represented throughout the leadership of county government," she said. Monday, February 14, 2022. The County Judge is the presiding officer of the county commissioners court and the head of emergency management. Shortly before 5 a.m., the early votes and less than half of the 375 voting centers had been reported. Our office stands ready to assist Harris County election officials, and all county election officials throughout the state, in complying with Texas Election Code requirements for accurately tabulating and reporting Primary Election results, Scott said. Don't elect their candidate for County Judge" or something and avoided a poor fact checking result. Corresponding demonstrations led by members of local law enforcement only added to the sentiment that the judge's control was under pressure, and opposition against the incumbent was capped by the court being forced to adopt a no-new budget stance due to ongoing Republican no-shows. In an interview, Mealer acknowledged Trump lost the 2020 election and said that, barring any obvious evidence of impropriety, she would accept the results in November if she loses. Martin trailed by a small margin, while the rest trailed by larger amounts. Who won and who lost in the 2022 midterm elections across Houston and rest of Texas? Marie D. De Jess/Staff photographer . HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's political future is on the line for 2022. 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a Democrat, and Pct. 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. Judges at the courthouse quickly encountered trouble in those unofficial returns. In her first term in office, Hidalgo has expanded the traditional responsibilities of county government beyond infrastructure, law enforcement and flood control, imagining a broader, more holistic role for the county that includes such things as child care, housing stability and reform-minded criminal justice. HARRIS COUNTY ELECTION UPDATES: Mealer concedes county judge race to Hidalgo. . Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke is leading . Jan. 31, 2022 Updated: Feb. 1, 2022 7:58 a.m. Facebook Twitter Email Houston business owner Jim Mattress Mack McIngvale has endorsed GOP candidate Alexandra del Moral Mealer for Harris County Judge. Attendees of Republican Harris County Judge candidate Alexandra del Moral Mealer watch as the election results come in on the television during her watch party at Kirby Ice House on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 in Houston. Hidalgo County Elections Department administers the polling locations in the early voting period. If you are running in the March 2022 primaries, we want to hear from you. Among the big-money conservatives to throw money behind Mealer were Texas oil tycoons Tim Dunn, and Faris Wilks, who became some of Hidalgo's Republican challenger's top donors in October with a $100,000 donation from the Defend Texas Liberty PAC, which the two men fund. another GOP candidate for county judge, called Hidalgo a "formidable campaigner," adding that progressives see her as a key component to flipping Texas blue. If the unofficial results stand, Democrats would retain and expand control of the county government four years after they won a majority for the first time in decades. 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. Her opponent, incumbent county Judge Lina Hidalgo, told ABC13 at the time the numbers were looking better and that Harris County is not alone in battling crime. Two candidates are vying for the position of Harris County judge in the upcoming Nov. 8 election with Republican candidate Alexandra del Moral Mealer challenging the incumbent Democratic judge . Alexandra Mealer is a tenacious campaigner, said Jessica Coln, a Houston-based Republican strategist who is uninvolved in the race. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo waits to speak to the media after the Harris County Commissioners Court went into executive session Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, in Houston. She has been on the ground to cover natural disasters, disease outbreaks, elections and protests, delivering stories to both . HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas (KVEO) Hidalgo County's judge will seek to keep his position for four more years in 2022. defeat of Republican challenger Alex Mealer in Tuesday's Harris County judge election. Elections Lina Hidalgo reelected as Harris County judge . It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your County Judge. 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. She's challenging Democratic incumbent Lina Hidalgo to become the chief executive over county government and head of the Commissioners Court. "We are just getting started.". 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. 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. Against the newcomer, Hidalgo's campaign appeared unworried about Mealer's prospects and trusted voters would secure her position again. In this one, Mealer is hoping to achieve the same feat, only with the parties swapped. Dylan McGuinness covers City Hall and local politics for the Houston Chronicle. art. 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. The judge congratulated other candidates who won in Tuesday's election, including Democratic Precinct 2 commissioner Adrian Garcia's victory over his Republican opponent Jack Morman. He joined the Hearst Austin bureau in 2021 after nearly three years as a City Hall reporter for the Chronicle and a prior stint covering Bexar County for the Express-News. The redistricting also cost him familiarity with voters, essentially switching the areas covered by Precincts 3 and 4. Moreover, Patrick confronted Hidalgo at the event and accused her of defunding the police despite increasing the law enforcement budget since 2019. 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. She pointed to a recent city-county gun buyback program and county spending aimed at addressing maternal mortality. Republicans say violent crime is up, Dems say it's down. Here is a look at some of her most significant moments of 2022. Following Democrat Lesley Briones' election win against incumbent Jack Cagle for Harris County Precinct 4 commissioner, Hidalgo noted that the Commissioners Court now has three Hispanics and two women. The vote totals confirmed just how hotly contested the local races were. Please check back later for updates. 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. Mealer's tough-on-crime campaign also spotlighted these accusations, framing the 31-year-old incumbent as an adversary of local law enforcement. With 205 of 259 precincts reporting in the Democratic primary, Ruben Ramirez was leading in the race for U.S. Representative . Before coming to the Chronicle, Jen spent three years covering City Hall for Houston's NPR station. Both partys candidates for county clerk the office that ran elections in Harris County until Commissioners Court gave that duty to an independent administrator ran unopposed. the Hidalgo County health authority, announced he was passing on a campaign for the seat, saying he could . 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. As November's general election neared, polling showed Hidalgo was in a tighter race with Mealer than expected, and a startling endorsement from the Houston Chronicle editorial board in favor of her opponent surprised many in Houston. 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. Are ticket costs pricing Houston Astros fans out of Opening Day? 05/09/2022 01:51 PM EDT. But that hasn't stopped RGV residents from working together for the things we all need to thrive. Republican challenger Alexandra del Moral Mealer has conceded her bid to unseat Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, with unofficial results show her trailing by . McGuinness previously covered the Rhode Island statehouse for the Associated Press and breaking news for the Boston Globe. 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. 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 ( Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Harris County Judge in Texas. Saturday, January 1, 2022. 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. Brandon Waltens | October 4, 2022. Kennedy is a reporter at Chron covering all things Houston. 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. In the four years since her upset victory thrust her into office as a 27-year-old newcomer, Hidalgo has reimagined the boundaries of county government, reaching beyond its traditional focus on public safety and flood control to also address such issues as childhood development, immigration and environmental control.
