You can't just look the other way on so many issues.". 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. 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 . Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail (Received, not Postmarked) Friday, February 18, 2022. For the latest and best fromChron,sign up for our daily newsletter here. Hidalgo took in $1.5 million during the same period, less than a third of Mealers sum, and she was outspent by more than $2 million. Elections Lina Hidalgo reelected as Harris County judge . Hidalgo's reelection campaign also suffered a blow following an unexpected endorsement from the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board co-signing Mealer. Democratic incumbent Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer addressed voters in Houston. Nov. 10, 2022. ), LIVE RESULTS TRACKER: Texas 2022 midterm elections: Live results from Abbott vs. Beto, Hidalgo vs. Mealer and more. In February, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick criticized Hidalgo for where she decided to stand at the memorial service of slain Harris County Pct. Turnout in the top 10 majority Black ZIP codes was down 15 percent from 2018, for example. 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. Hidalgo has scoffed at Mealers police hiring pledge, pointing to the countys more than 400 unfilled law enforcement positions. Jay R. Jordan; Axios on facebook. The County Judge is the presiding officer of the county commissioners court and the head of emergency management. "I want to thank Alex Mealer for running a hard-fought campaign," Hidalgo began. 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. 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. But that hasn't stopped RGV residents from working together for the things we all need to thrive. Hidalgo ( Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Harris County Judge in Texas. Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening Day? Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, This is what Houston looks like from space, 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. It all started with a viral video by the National Fraternal Order of Police denouncing where Hidalgo stood on the stage particularly close to the family and their elected officials to honor the fallen officer. See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2022) General election. Running for Local Offices; Notable Links . "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. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke is leading . Politics A new poll shows the Harris County Judge's race is neck-and-neck. 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. Incumbent Judge Lina Hidalgo is running for re-election after securing a historic - and surprising - win in 2018. Democrats have won every countywide contest since 2016, including Hidalgos own upset win over popular incumbent Ed Emmett in 2018. Elections Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo throws shade at Mattress Mack, local leaders during victory speech. HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas (KVEO) Hidalgo County's judge will seek to keep his position for four more years in 2022. 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. 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. Democratic incumbent Lina Hidalgo is running for a second term 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 . Fifteen candidates are vying for the position of Harris County judge in the upcoming . 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. Hidalgo also found herself at the center of controversy earlier this year after three of her top aides were indicted by a grand jury. ", Yesterday, the people of Harris County chose optimism over fear & people over politics. This is a developing story. During the March primaries, incumbent Lina Hidalgo took a huge lead as the Democratic nominee, but the race seems neck-and-neck against Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer . ", Thank you to all those who supported our campaign for good governance pic.twitter.com/ZnjLvtQVTO. Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, This is what Houston looks like from space. Kennedy is a reporter at Chron covering all things Houston. Procedures for Candidates, 2019-2021. 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. 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. 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. November 8, 2022 (General) Hidalgo. Adrian Garcia is in a rematch with Republican Jack Morman, Lina Hidalgo and Alexandra Mealer debate Harris County budget, crime and policy, appeared to gain some breathing room over the summer, What you need to know about Lina Hidalgo and Alex Mealer in the race for Harris County judge, refused campaign contributions from county contractors, have relied heavily on firms that do business with the county, has raised millions from small-dollar donors, Hidalgo, Harris County Dems hope for boost from abortion, national trends, but races still competitive over crime, economy. "No one really knows what the county judge does. . Saturday, January 1, 2022. Before coming to the Chronicle, Jen spent three years covering City Hall for Houston's NPR station. On Twitter Wednesday morning, Hidalgo celebrated her win, tweeting: "Yesterday, the people of Harris County chose optimism over fear & people over politics. Marie D. De Jess/Staff photographer . The GOP race to face Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is getting nasty. She's challenging Democratic incumbent Lina Hidalgo to become the chief executive over county government and head of the Commissioners Court. Onward! 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a Democrat, and Pct. A first-time political candidate, Mealer ran a tough on crime campaign against the Democratic incumbent, criticizing Hidalgo for the countys crime rate and stumping on issues of public safety. From attacks by Texas Republicans, charges filed . Code 7.104] 2 All State Senate seats are up for election in 2022 following redistricting in 2021. As Hidalgo's woes multiplied in commissioners court, her political opponent continued to rack up high-dollar contributions from well-heeled conservative donors. Despite the odds seemingly piling up against Hidalgo as Election Day approached, the 31-year-old Democrat still managed to come out on top. EXPLAINER: What you need to know about Lina Hidalgo and Alex Mealer in the race for Harris County judge. Monday, February 14, 2022. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office at (956)318-2570. 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, a Republican, do not face election this year. Judge Lina Hidalgo moved the COVID - 19 Threat to Level Orange at Houston Transtar Thursday, July 22, 2021, in Houston. Emmett left office in 2019. Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared at a rally Tuesday supporting Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo . 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. Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo talks to her supporters at an primaries election night party, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston. In that race, Hidalgo a little-known challenger capitalized on Democratic enthusiasm in a midterm election under a drastically unpopular Republican president. 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 . This is a carousel. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer. Like most other candidates, Mealer is accepting campaign donations from county contractors. 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. If you are running in the March 2022 primaries, we want to hear from you. Hidalgo's staffers being charged in 2022 with helping . Jen Rice is a reporter for the Houston Chronicle covering Harris County government. Democratic Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, left, is facing a challenge from Republican Alexandra Moral del Mealer. They asked the federal government for additional vaccine doses due to rising, but still relatively small, numbers of cases. Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria said some paper ballots got wrinkled and jammed, but most votes would be counted on time. Hidalgo's conservative commissioners court colleagues have accused the judge of "defunding the police," a claim she has fiercely denied. Her reporting has aired nationally on NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Here & Now. 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. 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. Lawyers for the aides have maintained their innocence. Oct 25, 2022 - News. The Houston region's high number of homicides, the state's new abortion ban and a flood of campaign . Don't elect their candidate for County Judge" or something and avoided a poor fact checking result. 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. Is Whataburger healthy? What does the data say? 2022 / 08:13 AM CST . For several election cycles, Houston-area voters have favored Democrats over Republicans. A sixth criminal judge, Jason Luong of the 185th district court, also trailed in his election but appeared headed for a runoff. 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. 2022 Candidate's Guide - Running for State, District or County Office; 2020 Candidate's Guide - Running for Federal, State, District or County offices. The 31-year-old stood in front of supporters applauding and chanting her name at the office of the Harris Democratic Party. 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. 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. Heres what you need to know. In the process, she became a champion to progressives who said that focus helped struggling households that the countys previously limited government left behind. 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. 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. BY THE NUMBERS: Republicans say violent crime is up, Dems say it's down. 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. In April, three Hidalgo staff members, including her chief of staff, were indicted for misuse of official information and tampering with government evidence. 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. Ellie Torres (D) Hidalgo County Constable Precinct 5. Jack Cagle is running against Democrat Lesley Briones. 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 . another GOP candidate for county judge, called Hidalgo a "formidable campaigner," adding that progressives see her as a key component to flipping Texas blue. Mealer is trying to take full advantage, blanketing the airwaves with campaign ads and outspending the incumbent overall. 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. "My opponent will often say, well, none of these are county issues," Hidalgo said. In Precinct 2, former commissioner Jack Morman and Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton led three other candidates. 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 . His statement went on to layout the penalty a class B misdemeanor for failing to meet the deadline. (Steve Gonzales, Staff photographer) / Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner before they gave a joint press conference about growing Monkeypox infections in July 2022. "The community has a position on these issues, and they want to know their leader's position. "Hidalgo continues to be the front-runner, primarily because of the makeup of Harris County in terms of partisanship," Cross said. During her campaign, Hidalgo said she was also subjected to smears, attacks, and the "dirtiest political tricks" from statewide leaders like Gov. In addition to the county judge race, Republican Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle is running against Democrat Lesley Briones, and Democratic Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia is in a rematch with Republican Jack Morman, the former commissioner he narrowly ousted four years ago. 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. Come find out at a candidate forum hosted by LUPE and LUPE Votes this Friday, February 4th at 5 pm online. 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. Following a challenging Election Night in Harris County plagued by delays and closings of multiple polling locations, voting tallies showed Hidalgo holding onto an unofficial lead of less than two points over Mealer, a West Point graduate and ex-Army captain. . Republicans say violent crime is up, Dems say it's down. Hidalgo also addressed the millions in campaign contributions her opponent garnered from "far right, Trump mega-donors," while campaigning for office. Release: Hidalgo County Judge Candidates Will Tackle the Biggest Challenges Facing Colonia, RGV Residents at LUPE Candidate Forum. ", Before closing out her speech, Hidalgo turned attention to any who don't believe she won her reelection fair and square. 2022 Updated: 5:24 PM CST November 9, 2022 . . "Because Lina has funded more full-time social workers than she has sheriff deputies.". More often, though, her campaign rhetoric has focused on fending off attacks from Mealer and throwing her own punches at the GOP nominee. Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo greets her supporters at an primaries election night party at Axelrad Beer Garden, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston. "Truth won over lies." . The contract was ultimately rescinded, and Hidalgo has continuously defended her office and aides in relation to the indictment. 05/09/2022 01:51 PM EDT. HARRIS COUNTY ELECTION UPDATES: Mealer concedes county judge race to Hidalgo. "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. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. A new study says yes. She beat Emmett by just over 19,000 votes, out of 1.1 million cast in the race, and 86 percent of her votes came from Democrats who cast straight-ticket ballots, a practice the Texas Legislature since has ended. Hidalgo-Mealer county judge race is a showdown over Harris County budget and its role in voters' eyes, Timeline: How battle between Houston ISD, TEA has reached the point of a looming takeover. Registered Voters as of February 27, 2023 Total 412,899. And the total number of votes will far surpass the total in 2014, the last time Republicans won countywide seats. 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. LUPE is a 501(c)3 organization Copyright 2023 1601 US-83 BUS, San Juan, TX 78589, Release: Hidalgo County Judge Candidates Will Tackle the Biggest Challenges Facing Colonia, RGV Residents at LUPE Candidate Forum. The balance of the five-member court is at stake in this election, with three incumbents up for re-election in competitive races. She's facing challengers . Chris Daniel, a former district clerk, ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Texas 2022 Elections Texas' 2022 races coming into focus as candidate filings close. . Espaol / English. Elections Harris County election results 2022: County judge, commissioners, propositions. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer, Gary Fountain/Contributor. Turnout overall was down 10 percent, but de Leon noted it still marked the second-highest turnout for a midterm election here. "Elections should not be about pitting one group against each other. 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 . Hidalgo's ethics argument also been blunted by the felony indictment of three current and former aides on charges of misuse of official information and tampering. Daniel Marichalar (D) Hidalgo County Criminal District Attorney. So, I think it's actually harmful to spend a lot of time talking about issues that aren't in your control," Mealer said. 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. Hidalgo also faced more specific challenges, including her fundraising disadvantage and a corruption probe. Early voting will begin Monday, October 24, 2022 and will run through. Monday, January 31, 2022. Republican challenger Alexandra del Moral Mealer has conceded her bid to unseat Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, with unofficial results show her trailing by . 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. The Early Voting results were reported shortly after the polls closed, Election Day results will be reported, and the remainder of the reconciliation process will continue over the next few days, as we prioritize accuracy over speed, Longorias office said in a statement. What does the data say? Republicans and prominent business leaders in Harris County made unseating Hidalgo a priority. 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. The judge congratulated other candidates who . Tensions ran high as the court's two Republican members skipped the meeting, blocking the three Democrats from passing their proposed tax rate unless they agreed to specific terms for funding law enforcement. With all voting centers reporting, Hidalgo had 546,745 votes (50.74 percent) to Mealer's 530,788 (49.25 percent. challenging Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, The key state and local races that your vote will decide in the November 8 midterm election, 1,000 additional law enforcement officers. Hidalgos stature quickly skyrocketed after the 2018 election, as she developed a passionate following among liberals inspired to see a Colombian immigrant elected at age 27 go toe-to-toe with Republican state leaders and veteran county commissioners. 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. Hidalgos Republican opponent, Alexandra del Moral Mealer raised 4x the amount of fundraising money in her bid. The Editorial Board. Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo greets her supporters at a primaries election night party at Axelrad Beer Garden, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston. November 8, 2022 General Election & Local Entities Elections. Hidalgo County residents and colonia residents in particular are on the frontlines of the biggest challenges facing the nation and the world. Among those trailing are five criminal district court judges: Chuck Silverman, 183rd district court; Abigail Anastasio, 184th; Greg Glass, 208th; and Amy Martin, 263rd. She pointed to a recent city-county gun buyback program and county spending aimed at addressing maternal mortality. she shouted to roaring applause. 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. Dylan McGuinness covers City Hall and local politics for the Houston Chronicle. "Right now the county judge race is in a . HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas (ValleyCentral) - The race for Hidalgo County Judge has two candidates on the Republican ticket, something that is rare in the Rio Grande Valley. 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 . Members shall draw lots to determine who serves which terms. Heres what you need to know. 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. For any questions regarding your voter information please call the Hidalgo County's Elections Department at (956) 318-2570. . 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.

During Pi Planning, Who Owns Feature Priorities?, Articles H