Please type your name EXACTLY as it appears on your VOTER REGISTRATION RECORD. 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. Jasper Scherer covers Texas politics and government for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. Heres what you need to know. Turnout overall was down 10 percent, but de Leon noted it still marked the second-highest turnout for a midterm election here. But for now, her two GOP challengers are busy slashing at each other before the May 24 runoff election. Hidalgo has touted her record steering the county through several major emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic and last years winter storm, and establishing programs focused on early childhood education, pandemic recovery and environmental health and monitoring. Lina Hidalgo (@LinaHidalgoTX) November 9, 2022. Those two forces are clashing, according to Nancy Sims, a political analyst and lecturer of political science at the University of Houston. 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. Oct. 12, 2022. In April, three Hidalgo staff members, including her chief of staff, were indicted for misuse of official information and tampering with government evidence. LUPE was founded in 1989 by farmworker and civil rights leaders . 2022 Updated: 5:24 PM CST November 9, 2022 . . A new poll released by Defend Texas Liberty PAC shows Republican candidate Alex Mealer with a four-point lead over Democrat incumbent Lina Hidalgo in the contentious race for Harris County judge. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer. 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. Democratic Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, left, is facing a challenge from Republican Alexandra Moral del Mealer. . And the pandemic is deepened inequality and exacerbated existing divisions. 05/09/2022 01:51 PM EDT. Throughout her reelection campaign, Hidalgo faced an onslaught of criticism from state Republicans, including Gov. She has defended the staffers, who are accused of steering a vaccine outreach contract to a politically connected vendor. County Court at Law Judge Lesley Briones and former Harris County elections staffer Benjamin Chou were leading in that race. WINNERS AND LOSERS: Who won and who lost in the 2022 midterm elections across Houston and rest of Texas? Emmett assumed office in 2007. 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 was previously a political reporter with the Texas Signal. ", "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. art. Hidalgo County Elections Department administers the polling locations in the early voting period. As Hidalgo's woes multiplied in commissioners court, her political opponent continued to rack up high-dollar contributions from well-heeled conservative donors. 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. Dylan McGuinness covers City Hall and local politics for the Houston Chronicle. Welcome to Hidalgo County! DIRECTORY. Elections Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo throws shade at Mattress Mack, local leaders during victory speech. 2023 Commissioner's Court Meetings Calendar. This 10 percentage point lead by . Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo greets her supporters at a primaries election night party at Axelrad Beer Garden, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston. (Steve Gonzales, Staff photographer) / Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner before they gave a joint press conference about growing Monkeypox infections in July 2022. First Day of Early Voting. The board praised her plans to combat violent crime in the county and promises to clear a backlog of criminal cases at the courthouse. Election mishaps and conflicting court rulings introduced a degree of uncertainty about when the results would become official. She has said the GOP plan would create hundreds of new positions that may never be filled, while preventing raises for the current police officers and cutting critical funding for flood control, public health, and other areas.. Democrats thought their 3-2 majority on the Court would make this an easy task and they . 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. She enjoys traveling and reading romance novels. [Tex. Lawyers for the aides have maintained their innocence. Oct. 12, 2022 Updated: Oct. 14, 2022 1:37 p.m. For the first time, the two candidates for Harris County judge, incumbent Lina Hidalgo and challenger Alexandra Mealer, sat down . This is a carousel. Dan Patrick, as well as her fellow commissioners Jack Cagle and Tom Ramsey. Her biggest donor was Richard Weekley, a Houston-based developer and megadonor who contributed $400,000 to Mealers campaign. 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. Hidalgo's slight edge over Mealer emerged with the results of early and absentee voting, and remained largely the same as the county's tallying process dragged on into the morning. With all voting centers reporting, Hidalgo had 546,745 votes (50.74 percent) to Mealer's 530,788 (49.25 percent. A poll from the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston, released Monday on the first day of early voting, found 47% of likely Harris County voters say they will support Mealer, a political newcomer running for Harris County judge. We are a membership-based organization and our strength is found in the participation of our over eight thousand members. pic.twitter.com/WBczbAdXiT, Mealer issued a statement conceding victory on Twitter earlier Wednesday morning, writing: "While we did not accomplish our goal of changing leadership in Harris County, we were successful in elevating the profile of critical issues like the need to appropriately resource our law enforcement and criminal justice system as well as the desire to eliminate corruption and increase transparency in local government. Mealer has framed those unfilled positions as another failure on Hidalgo's part, suggesting the county recruit from military bases and offer signingbonuses using federal COVID relief funds. I am committed to working hard every day . Hidalgo repeatedly has said the countys main public safety departments the sheriff, constables and district attorney have received funding boosts in each county budget since Democrats took control of Commissioners Court in 2018. "They do that to get you talking about everything but Harris County. 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. The Democratic majority tried to draw Cagle, a Republican who has represented Precinct 4 since 2011, out of office when it passed new precinct maps last year. The balance of the five-member court is at stake in this election, with three incumbents up for re-election in competitive races. 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. Lina Hidalgo (@LinaHidalgoTX) November 9, 2022. . He grew up in Connecticut, graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, and is a die-hard Red Sox fan. 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. After briefly looking down and taking a pause, Hidalgo continued: "But y'all, didn't I say it would be a sweet victory?". This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Procedures for Candidates, 2019-2021. The primary election is March 1, 2022. 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. WHAT: Candidate Forum for Hidalgo County Judge in the Democratic Party Primary, Candidates: Richard Cortez (incumbent), Norma Ramirez, Tania Ramirez, Sponsors: La Unin del Pueblo Entero and LUPE Votes. . Chris Daniel, a former district clerk, ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Tax Rates. 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. 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. 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. District Clerk Marilyn Burgess led her Democratic challenger in the early returns. Hidalgo enjoyed a small lead in the 2018 early vote, and she performed better on Election Day, growing her lead to secure a 50-to-48 percent victory. . 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. She's challenging Democratic incumbent Lina Hidalgo to become the chief executive over county government and head of the Commissioners Court. They answered questions from the . 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. 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. He has also reported on local politics for both papers. Now, emboldened by a combination of factors the felony indictment of three Hidalgo aides, a sharp rise in homicides mirroring a trend across the country, and favorable national conditions Harris County Republicans have rallied behind Mealer as perhaps their best shot to reverse their recent struggles. 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. In February, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick criticized Hidalgo for where she decided to stand at the memorial service of slain Harris County Pct. From attacks by Texas Republicans, charges filed . Q&A with Harris County judge candidate Alexandra Mealer. Republican Harris County Judge candidate Alexandra del Moral Mealer talks to the media as early election results come in at her watch party at Kirby Ice House on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 in Houston. Alexandra del Moral Mealer, the Republican nominee for Harris County judge, speaking at the press conference at the Harris County DeputiesOrganization in Houston. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo tries to win re-election but faces a challenge from Republican Alexandra . He grew up in Connecticut, graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, and is a die-hard Red Sox fan. Marc Campos, a longtime Houston Democratic consultant who is not involved in the race, said Hidalgo likely will benefit from low propensity voters who feel motivated to turn out because of abortion rights. Hidalgos Republican opponent, Alexandra del Moral Mealer raised 4x the amount of fundraising money in her bid. People are looking beyond party lines and looking to the person, and thats the way local politics really should be, Mealer told reporters following the initial results. 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. "I want to thank Alex Mealer for running a hard-fought campaign," Hidalgo began. 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. HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's political future is on the line for 2022. Incumbent Democrat Teneshia Hudspeth will face former County Clerk Stan Stanart in the November general election. The GOP race to face Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is getting nasty. The judge congratulated other candidates who . That message helped Mealer rake in millions in campaign cash, with six-figure support in the last month from the likes of Gallery Furniture owner Jim Mattress Mack McIngvale and energy executive David Modesett, among others. According to Harris County officials, Patrick told Hidalgo to sit down and shut up multiple times at the funeral. Monday, January 31, 2022. What does the data say? Hidalgo's staffers being charged in 2022 with helping . Onward! Staff members faced charges of misuse of official information and tampering with a government record in connection to a county contract awarded by Hidalgo's office to a local public relations firm to create a county COVID-19 outreach program. Is Whataburger healthy? What does the data say? Mealer concedes to Hidalgo in Harris County judge race, Democrats likely to expand majority, Timeline: How battle between Houston ISD, TEA has reached the point of a looming takeover. STAY IN THE KNOW, by visiting our website in the next couple of days. McGuinness previously covered the Rhode Island statehouse for the Associated Press and breaking news for the Boston Globe. Help us ask the candidates for Hidalgo County Judge the challenging questions. Recent polls reflected the two candidates were in a virtual dead heat, with Mealer up two points over Hidalgo. Mealer, who keyed in on violent crime in Harris County, was also favored in donations, outraising Hidalgo by nearly $7 million in campaign contributions thanks in large part to a number of generous GOP donors. 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. "To the extent we work on these issues that affect us all, all of us will do better. 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. Democrat Lina Hidalgo has secured a second term as Harris County Judge, defeating her Republican challenger Alex Mealer in a highly contested race for the head of the county's governing body. "Harris County is still trending blue," Campos said, "and I think with the Dobbs case, the whole abortion case, that's energizing female voters and I think that's going to help out Democrats up and down the ticket.". 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. "The math is clear, and one plus one equals two, but they're still trying to pin that on us," she said. Our nation is too divided right now and it's been divided for too many years," Hidalgo said. Jay R. Jordan; Axios on facebook. "The community has a position on these issues, and they want to know their leader's position. Republican Harris County Judge candidate Alexandra del Moral Mealer gets ready to talk to the media as early election results come in at her watch party at Kirby Ice House on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 in Houston. We earned them with hard work and with results over the past four years.". Emmett left office in 2019. 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.. Hidalgo has scoffed at Mealers police hiring pledge, pointing to the countys more than 400 unfilled law enforcement positions. The vote totals confirmed just how hotly contested the local races were. Republicans and prominent business leaders in Harris County made unseating Hidalgo a priority. 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. 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. Come find out at a candidate forum hosted by LUPE and LUPE Votes this Friday, February 4th at 5 pm online. 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. Harris County Commissioner Pct. Hidalgo County Clerk. Hidalgo reported having $2 million in her campaign account, giving her a slight edge over Mealers $1.7 million cash on hand. ), LIVE RESULTS TRACKER: Texas 2022 midterm elections: Live results from Abbott vs. Beto, Hidalgo vs. Mealer and more. 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. . Staff writers Samantha Ketterer, Yilun Cheng and Elizabeth Trovall contributed to this report. 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. Const. "No one really knows what the county judge does. Harris County judge candidates . The race for county judge in Harris County is in a statistical dead heat, with Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer leading Democrat Lina Hidalgo by 2% (47% to 45%, with 8% undecided). For the latest and best fromChron,sign up for our daily newsletter here. The last-minute celebrity endorsements were one of Hidalgos last campaign moves before the Nov. 8 election. Incumbent Judge Lina Hidalgo is running for re-election after securing a historic - and surprising - win in 2018. Hidalgo, Garcia cruise through primary, while incumbent judges struggle, Timeline: How battle between Houston ISD, TEA has reached the point of a looming takeover. "My opponent will often say, well, none of these are county issues," Hidalgo said. Hidalgo's camp announced that the Democratic judge will make her victory remarks at the office of the Harris County Democratic Party on Wednesday, though they did not confirm when. For the first time, the two candidates for Harris County judge, incumbent Lina Hidalgo and challenger Alexandra Mealer, sat down face-to-face. 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. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Poll Watcher's Guide (PDF) Public Information Request (PDF) Election Forms That means all votes cast between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. are being set aside until the high court decides whether they're legitimate and can be counted. A new study says yes. Hidalgo County Courthouse 100 North Closner. And the total number of votes will far surpass the total in 2014, the last time Republicans won countywide seats. (Photo: Lina Hidalgo campaign) HOUSTON - Less than an hour after the polls closed for the 2022 Texas Primary Election Tuesday, Democratic incumbent Lina Hidalgo took the lead ahead of all other candidates for Harris County Judge. Astros GM Dana Brown the antithesis of his predecessors, Texas wants to ban delta-8, but veterans are pushing back, UH, Texas A&M removing DEI statements from hiring practices, Houston is the most stressful city to work in, says new study, The Breakfast Klub sues prominent City Hall consultant for fraud, Lauren Daigle at Houston Rodeo: 'God always has your number', Galveston gets fourth Carnival Cruise Line, Who won, who lost, who's going to a runoff in primary elections across Houston, rest of Texas, 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. Solis, who lives in Palmview, speculated that the lack of polling locations on the west side of Hidalgo County could have been designed to help a certain primary candidate. Climate damage has fueled storms that flood our region. Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo is applauded as she arrives at a primaries election night party, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston. Monday, February 14, 2022. Elections Harris County election results 2022: County judge, commissioners, propositions. On election night, Mealer conceded the race after unofficial results showed Hidalgo riding to a comfortable 15,000-vote lead. ", 'POLITICS OF PERCEPTION': Hidalgo, Harris County Dems hope for boost from abortion, national trends, but races still competitive over crime, economy. Editor's note: This article has been updated to include responses submitted by Alexandra del Moral Mealer. Candidate Information Texas Secretary of State. 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. Former Army Capt. He initially joined the paper through the Hearst Journalism Fellowship program after covering the same beats for the San Antonio Express-News. Where do the candidates for Hidalgo County Judge stand on the biggest challenges facing colonia residents and the Rio Grande Valley? Jack Cagle is running against Democrat Lesley Briones. Judges at the courthouse quickly encountered trouble in those unofficial returns. Incumbent US Rep Sylvia Garcia reacts as she watches televised election returns at the Election Night Watch Party hosted by the Harris Co. Democratic Party held at Chapman and Kirby Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 in Houston, TX. Don't elect their candidate for County Judge" or something and avoided a poor fact checking result. 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. 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. See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2022) General election.