hidalgo county judge candidates 2022

"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. Staff writers Samantha Ketterer, Yilun Cheng and Elizabeth Trovall contributed to this report. It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your County Judge. That is not guaranteed, though, given the narrow nature of their leads and the in-limbo status of the set-aside ballots. She's facing challengers . During her campaign, Hidalgo said she was also subjected to smears, attacks, and the "dirtiest political tricks" from statewide leaders like Gov. 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. See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2022) General election. Before coming to the Chronicle, Jen spent three years covering City Hall for Houston's NPR station. We need more vaccine, Turner said. If Hidalgo holds on to win, she will have overcome an aggressive re-election fight in a hostile political climate for Democrats. ), LIVE RESULTS TRACKER: Texas 2022 midterm elections: Live results from Abbott vs. Beto, Hidalgo vs. Mealer and more. What does the data say? 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. 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. 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 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. Nov. 10, 2022. 'This Week In Texas' puts spotlight on Harris County Judge's race Lina Hidalgo ( Democratic Party) is the Harris County Judge in Texas. "My opponent will often say, well, none of these are county issues," Hidalgo said. The local Democratic Party administers the polling locations on Election Day. "Hidalgo continues to be the front-runner, primarily because of the makeup of Harris County in terms of partisanship," Cross said. Mealer is trying to take full advantage, blanketing the airwaves with campaign ads and outspending the incumbent overall. 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. A new poll shows the Harris County Judge's race is neck-and-neck Judge Lina Hidalgo moved the COVID - 19 Threat to Level Orange at Houston Transtar Thursday, July 22, 2021, in Houston. another GOP candidate for county judge, called Hidalgo a "formidable campaigner," adding that progressives see her as a key component to flipping Texas blue. 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. He initially joined the paper through the Hearst Journalism Fellowship program after covering the same beats for the San Antonio Express-News. 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 . Hidalgo County primary election unofficial results She's challenging Democratic incumbent Lina Hidalgo to become the chief executive over county government and head of the Commissioners Court. A runoff also will be necessary in the wide open Democratic primary for the Precinct 4 seat on Commissioners Court, newly drawn last year to improve the partys chances of defeating Republican incumbent Jack Cagle. Democratic Precinct 2 commissioner Adrian Garcia's, 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. 2022 Updated: 5:24 PM CST November 9, 2022 . 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. 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. Espaol / English. 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. He grew up in Connecticut, graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, and is a die-hard Red Sox fan. He grew up in Connecticut, graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, and is a die-hard Red Sox fan. TEXAS VOTER GUIDE: The key state and local races that your vote will decide in the November 8 midterm election. The national environment a key factor in the outcome of the county judge race, political experts say now appears to be shifting back in favor of Republicans. 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. Editor's note: This article has been updated to include responses submitted by Alexandra del Moral Mealer. Alexandra Mealer is a tenacious campaigner, said Jessica Coln, a Houston-based Republican strategist who is uninvolved in the race. 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. 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. Poll Watcher's Guide (PDF) Public Information Request (PDF) Election Forms 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. Judges at the courthouse quickly encountered trouble in those unofficial returns. 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. In Precinct 2, former commissioner Jack Morman and Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton led three other candidates. EXPLAINER: What you need to know about Lina Hidalgo and Alex Mealer in the race for Harris County judge. Kennedy is a reporter at Chron covering all things Houston. 2022 Primary Election | Hidalgo County, TX - Official Website Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening Day? . 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. Vendor Portal . 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. We earned them with hard work and with results over the past four years.". [Tex. 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. "With crime rising, is the focus increasing deputies or is it increasing social workers?" Texas Ethics Commission . 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. Hidalgo County Elections Department She has defended the staffers, who are accused of steering a vaccine outreach contract to a politically connected vendor. She had poured nearly $1.9 million of her campaign funds into TV ads as of last week, nearly a 3-to-1 advantage over Hidalgo, according to data from the media-tracking firm AdImpact. Chris Daniel, a former district clerk, ran unopposed in the Republican primary. 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. 2022 / 08:13 AM CST . The 31-year-old stood in front of supporters applauding and chanting her name at the office of the Harris Democratic Party. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Lina Hidalgo vs. Alexandra Mealer: Harris County Judge Live Election Republican Challengers to Lina Hidalgo Spar in Heated Runoff for Harris 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. "That is a key priority," Hidalgo said. 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. 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." "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. Against the newcomer, Hidalgo's campaign appeared unworried about Mealer's prospects and trusted voters would secure her position again. The trend began around the start of the pandemic in 2020, when murders surged by more than 40 percent in the county, including Houston and the other incorporated cities. 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 . Lina Hidalgo faces tough reelection race for Harris County Judge | The 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 . 10:46 AM CDT October 23, 2022 . (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. I also want to thank Ms. Mealer for a hard-fought campaign & her military service. 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.