Kennedy is a reporter at Chron covering all things Houston. Democratic incumbent Lina Hidalgo is running for a second term as Harris County Judge. They asked the federal government for additional vaccine doses due to rising, but still relatively small, numbers of cases. Five lower-ballot Republicans had narrow advantages for criminal or civil court benches, though Democrats were leading in most contests. "That is a key priority," Hidalgo said. 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. 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. 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. Previously, she was a community news and breaking news reporter for the Austin American-Statesman. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke is leading . Members shall draw lots to determine who serves which terms. Her current term ends on December 31, 2026. Onward! "They do that to get you talking about everything but Harris County. This is a developing story. 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 . Hidalgo County Elections Department administers the polling locations in the early voting period. On election night, Mealer conceded the race after unofficial results showed Hidalgo riding to a comfortable 15,000-vote lead. The result could be a 4-1 Democratic powerhouse, the same 3-2 divide or a shift back to a Republican-controlled court. The redistricting also cost him familiarity with voters, essentially switching the areas covered by Precincts 3 and 4. 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). Join us on Facebook Live and YouTube Live tonight, Friday, February 4th at 5 pm. . Monday, January 31, 2022. 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. Democrats have won every countywide contest since 2016, including Hidalgos own upset win over popular incumbent Ed Emmett in 2018. Hidalgo's conservative commissioners court colleagues have accused the judge of "defunding the police," a claim she has fiercely denied. Cagle was unopposed on the Republican side. According to Harris County officials, Patrick told Hidalgo to sit down and shut up multiple times at the funeral. Hidalgo and other Democrats hoped that firewall would help them stave off challenges in a race where their contests appear in the latter pages of a drawn-out ballot. Climate damage has fueled storms that flood our region. "Truth won over lies." On Friday, Hidalgo County Judge Richard . Editor's note: This article has been updated to include responses submitted by Alexandra del Moral Mealer. 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. I am extremely grateful to our supporters and all those who contributed to this campaign. Hidalgo's 2018 win was fueled by a perfect storm of political factors: voters outraged by the Trump administration, high Democratic turnout for Beto O'Rourke's campaign against Sen. Ted Cruz and the popularity of straight-ticket voting. His statement went on to layout the penalty a class B misdemeanor for failing to meet the deadline. 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. Axios on linkedin. 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 . 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. The judge also referenced endorsements of her opponent made by Jim Mattress "Mack McIngvale" and the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board, as well as others she characterized as belonging to a "political establishment that frankly has held onto power for just a little too long. . Staff writers Samantha Ketterer, Yilun Cheng and Elizabeth Trovall contributed to this report. HARRIS COUNTY ELECTION UPDATES: Mealer concedes county judge race to Hidalgo. 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 . The elections took place amid a series of hurdles at the ballot box, culminating Tuesday night with Harris County election officials asking the state for an extension on the 24-hour deadline, required by state law, to count all the votes. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz attends Republican Harris County Judge candidate Alexandra del Moral Mealer watch party at Kirby Ice House on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 in Houston. For the latest and best fromChron,sign up for our daily newsletter here. 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. 2022 Wave elections; Onward! Bun B, Badu, J.J. Watt celebrate RodeoHouston Southern Takeover, Exclusive: Abbott explains push against diversity hiring programs. ", Yesterday, the people of Harris County chose optimism over fear & people over politics. 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. 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. 2022 Candidate's Guide - Running for State, District or County Office; 2020 Candidate's Guide - Running for Federal, State, District or County offices. We pride ourselves on doing our best, being responsible with taxpayer . The 31-year-old stood in front of supporters applauding and chanting her name at the office of the Harris Democratic Party. Elections Harris County election results 2022: County judge, commissioners, propositions. Oct. 12, 2022. Lina Hidalgo, a rising Democratic star, faces a tough reelection race to lead Harris County. . That's because Harris County District Court Judge Dawn Rogers prompted by a lawsuit alleging that some people were denied election access because of poor planning that led to late opening times at some voting centers signed an order on Tuesday evening keeping all polling places open one hour later, until 8 p.m., only to have the Texas Supreme Court stay her order in the evening. Throughout her reelection campaign, Hidalgo faced an onslaught of criticism from state Republicans, including Gov. Judge Lina Hidalgo moved the COVID - 19 Threat to Level Orange at Houston Transtar Thursday, July 22, 2021, in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer. Along her campaign trail, Hidalgo amassed the support of celebrities like Hamilton playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, Chicago rapper and actor Common, and actress Jane Fonda, who block-walked with her in Houston last month. Hidalgo also faced more specific challenges, including her fundraising disadvantage and a corruption probe. Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria said some paper ballots got wrinkled and jammed, but most votes would be counted on time. Commissioner Jack and Janet Cagle, center, at his election night party at Maize's Restaurant in Houston. 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. That means our county judge must be ready to lead our community through these challenges and toward a thriving future. VIDEO: Lina Hidalgo and Alexandra Mealer debate Harris County budget, crime and policy. 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 . 2022 Election. Participation among voters with Spanish surnames was down 18 percent. On Twitter Wednesday morning, Hidalgo celebrated her win, tweeting: "Yesterday, the people of Harris County chose optimism over fear & people over politics. Turnout in the top 10 majority Black ZIP codes was down 15 percent from 2018, for example. ", "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. I sincerely appreciate your vote of confidence in electing me. Lina Hidalgo defeated incumbent Ed Emmett and Eric Gatlin in the general election for Harris County Judge on November 6, . 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. In Precinct 2, former commissioner Jack Morman and Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton led three other candidates. Employees Only. Updated: Jun 18, 2021 / 01:46 PM CDT. Please check back later for updates. Elections Lina Hidalgo reelected as Harris County judge . Campaign finance reports received by the Harris County Office of the Elections Administrator on July 15 show $2.88M in total contributions between Feb. 20-June 30 to the two candidates for Harris . "Elections should not be about pitting one group against each other. Hidalgo reported having $2 million in her campaign account, giving her a slight edge over Mealers $1.7 million cash on hand. He grew up in Connecticut, graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, and is a die-hard Red Sox fan. Meanwhile, across town at the Kirby Ice House, Mealer said the close margins show voters are paying attention. 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. 5 Deputy Corporal Charles Galloway. "The community has a position on these issues, and they want to know their leader's position. 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