Where do the candidates for Hidalgo County Judge stand on the biggest challenges facing colonia residents and the Rio Grande Valley? Vendor Portal . She has created a political base around her campaign to make her race one of the most important and contested races in the state.. Democratic County Judge Lina Hidalgo beat Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer by more than 18,000 votes. The redistricting also cost him familiarity with voters, essentially switching the areas covered by Precincts 3 and 4. Despite the odds seemingly piling up against Hidalgo as Election Day approached, the 31-year-old Democrat still managed to come out on top. Alexandra Mealer is a tenacious campaigner, said Jessica Coln, a Houston-based Republican strategist who is uninvolved in the race. Monday, January 31, 2022. Despite seeing a barrage of criticisms . The Editorial Board. 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. 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. . Hidalgo, Garcia cruise through primary, while incumbent judges struggle, Timeline: How battle between Houston ISD, TEA has reached the point of a looming takeover. 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 . 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. For the latest and best fromChron,sign up for our daily newsletter here. "Truth won over lies." 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. 2022 Wave elections; The result: Cagles Republican-leaning precinct became a Democratic-leaning one. During a hotly contested primary, she won endorsements from key members of the Harris County Republican establishment, including Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap, former commissioner Steve Radackand popular furniture magnate Jim Mattress Mack McIngvale. He grew up in Connecticut, graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, and is a die-hard Red Sox fan. In the GOP primary for county treasurer, Kyle Scott led Eric Dick. November 8, 2022 General Election & Local Entities Elections. Poll Watcher's Guide (PDF) Public Information Request (PDF) Election Forms On Twitter Wednesday morning, Hidalgo celebrated her win, tweeting: "Yesterday, the people of Harris County chose optimism over fear & people over politics. In the process, she became a champion to progressives who said that focus helped struggling households that the countys previously limited government left behind. Candidate Information Texas Secretary of State. 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." Early voting in the March primary begins on Valentine's Day. Hidalgo County residents and colonia residents in particular are on the frontlines of the biggest challenges facing the nation and the world. That is not guaranteed, though, given the narrow nature of their leads and the in-limbo status of the set-aside ballots. 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. The board praised her plans to combat violent crime in the county and promises to clear a backlog of criminal cases at the courthouse. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer. "I want to thank Alex Mealer for running a hard-fought campaign," Hidalgo began. 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. In the week leading up to Election Day, First Lady Jill Biden, Hamilton Broadway star Lin Manuel-Miranda and rapper Common stumped for Hidalgo and encouraged voters to cast their ballots for Democratic candidates. Daniel Marichalar (D) Hidalgo County Criminal District Attorney. Three of her staffers have been indicted by District Attorney Kim Ogg over a controversial COVID-19 outreach contract, an investigation that Hidalgo has decried as a witch-hunt. Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening Day? 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. Hidalgo has maintained that the scandal was a politically motivated attack and has publicly defended her aides. "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 said in a statement on social media. 2022 Election. 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. 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 has defended the staffers, who are accused of steering a vaccine outreach contract to a politically connected vendor. McGuinness previously covered the Rhode Island statehouse for the Associated Press and breaking news for the Boston Globe. Const. ", The Republican newcomer continued: "This campaign was always about good government and I am hopeful that we have played a role encouraging that going forward. 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. Incumbent Judge Lina Hidalgo is running for re-election after securing a historic - and surprising - win in 2018. 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 . The intense exchange was just one of many instances in which the lieutenant governor has openly rejected Hidalgo. 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. Democratic Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, left, is facing a challenge from Republican Alexandra Moral del Mealer. 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. Hidalgo's reelection campaign also suffered a blow following an unexpected endorsement from the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board co-signing Mealer. 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. Republicans and prominent business leaders in Harris County made unseating Hidalgo a priority. For several election cycles, Houston-area voters have favored Democrats over Republicans. 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.. 2023 Commissioner's Court Meetings Calendar. Eight district court judges and two county court-at-law judges trailed opponents in early returns for the Democratic primary elections, results that figure to introduce a significant amount of turnover on local benches. Quick Links. The primary election is March 1, 2022. DIRECTORY. 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 . ", 'POLITICS OF PERCEPTION': Hidalgo, Harris County Dems hope for boost from abortion, national trends, but races still competitive over crime, economy. As Hidalgo's woes multiplied in commissioners court, her political opponent continued to rack up high-dollar contributions from well-heeled conservative donors. Lina Hidalgo ( Democratic Party) is the Harris County Judge in Texas. This is a developing story. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, right, speaks about the expansion of the county's Jail-Based Competency Restoration program at the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD on Feb. 9, 2023 . She won in the general election on November 8, 2022. Race for Harris County judge still too close to call Published: November 8, 2022, 11:56 AM Updated: November 9, 2022, 1:04 AM Tags: Decision 2022 , Harris County , Voting , Lina Hidalgo . Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Hidalgo also faced more specific challenges, including her fundraising disadvantage and a corruption probe. 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 County Elections Department administers the polling locations in the early voting period. See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2022) General election. 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, Texas 2022 midterm elections: Live results from Abbott vs. Beto, Hidalgo vs. Mealer and more, retain and expand control of the county government, Mealer concedes county judge race to Hidalgo, ran a spirited campaign arguing that Hidalgo has forsaken public safety. And Mealer, 38, a retired Army veteran, ran a spirited campaign arguing that Hidalgo has forsaken public safety in the name of extracurricular goals. Dan Patrick, as well as her fellow commissioners Jack Cagle and Tom Ramsey. 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. Incumbent Cagle lost his bid for reelection as Harris County Precinct 4 commissioner against Democratic challenger Lesley Briones, a civil court judge. Mealers bid focused on the rise in crime Harris County has seen since the COVID-19 pandemic, seeking to lay blame for that uptick at Hidalgos feet, although similar or larger increases have occurred across the country. Texas 2022 Elections GOP Harris County judge candidate contesting her loss after . And the total number of votes will far surpass the total in 2014, the last time Republicans won countywide seats. Hidalgo touts among her . For the latest and best fromChron,sign up for our daily newsletter here. "She does seem to evoke strong emotions in either party. Rest assured that I take, very seriously, the responsibility to serve all of Hidalgo County. District Clerk Marilyn Burgess led her Democratic challenger in the early returns. 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. 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. Kennedy is a reporter at Chron covering all things Houston. ), LIVE RESULTS TRACKER: Texas 2022 midterm elections: Live results from Abbott vs. Beto, Hidalgo vs. Mealer and more.