defeat of Republican challenger Alex Mealer in Tuesday's Harris County judge election. 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. The vote totals confirmed just how hotly contested the local races were. 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. . Saturday, January 1, 2022. That means our county judge must be ready to lead our community through these challenges and toward a thriving future. Democratic County Judge Lina Hidalgo beat Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer by more than 18,000 votes. 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, a Republican, do not face election this year. 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. Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, a Democrat, held a wider lead: 105,653 votes (52.56 percent) to Republican Jack Morman's 95,363 (47.44 percent), according to the unofficial vote count. More often, though, her campaign rhetoric has focused on fending off attacks from Mealer and throwing her own punches at the GOP nominee. 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. "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.". From attacks by Texas Republicans, charges filed against her staff, a well-funded campaign against her and Commissioner Court drama, Hidalgo still finished the year with a win to keep her seat as top county official for the next four years. If you are running in the March 2022 primaries, we want to hear from you. The intense exchange was just one of many instances in which the lieutenant governor has openly rejected Hidalgo. Texas Ethics Commission . 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. The board praised her plans to combat violent crime in the county and promises to clear a backlog of criminal cases at the courthouse. 2022 / 08:13 AM CST . The judge congratulated other candidates who . 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. Campaign finance reports also showed Mealer outraised Hidalgo with $10 million in the campaign chest. 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a Democrat, and Pct. Are ticket costs pricing Houston Astros fans out of Opening Day? We earned them with hard work and with results over the past four years.". A new study says yes. WINNERS AND LOSERS: Who won and who lost in the 2022 midterm elections across Houston and rest of Texas? "She does seem to evoke strong emotions in either party. But the ad could have said "Mealer refuses to oppose Abbott's extreme abortion ban," or even "Texas Republicans support Abbott's extreme abortion ban. Power-hungry politicians use our home to scapegoat immigrants, divide citizens and enrich wealthy special interests. Dylan McGuinness covers City Hall and local politics for the Houston Chronicle. HARRIS COUNTY ELECTION UPDATES: Mealer concedes county judge race to Hidalgo. Heres what you need to know. Hidalgo's reelection campaign also suffered a blow following an unexpected endorsement from the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board co-signing Mealer. Elections Lina Hidalgo reelected as Harris County judge . Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer. 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. You can't just look the other way on so many issues.". Tax Rates. If Hidalgo holds on to win, she will have overcome an aggressive re-election fight in a hostile political climate for Democrats. 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. 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. Elections Harris County election results 2022: County judge, commissioners, propositions. Minerva Diaz (R) Hidalgo County Commissioner Precinct 4. Kennedy is a reporter at Chron covering all things Houston. 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 . Politics A new poll shows the Harris County Judge's race is neck-and-neck. BY THE NUMBERS: Republicans say violent crime is up, Dems say it's down. 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. Texas 2022 Elections Texas' 2022 races coming into focus as candidate filings close. She pointed to a recent city-county gun buyback program and county spending aimed at addressing maternal mortality. Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, 2022. 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. 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. 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. Recent polls reflected the two candidates were in a virtual dead heat, with Mealer up two points over Hidalgo. In the process, she became a champion to progressives who said that focus helped struggling households that the countys previously limited government left behind. They answered questions from the . Lawyers for the aides have maintained their innocence. She enjoys traveling and reading romance novels. Lina Hidalgo, a rising Democratic star, faces a tough reelection race to lead Harris County. Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo during a COVID-19 press conference in July 2021. 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. 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 . In April, three Hidalgo staff members, including her chief of staff, were indicted for misuse of official information and tampering with government evidence. Her opponent, Republican challenge . Running for Local Offices; Notable Links . "Because Lina has funded more full-time social workers than she has sheriff deputies.". Across race and background, we are uniting to demand those who govern in our name to provide the things all working people need: Education that teaches us about our past while preparing us for the future. 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. 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. HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas (KVEO) Hidalgo County's judge will seek to keep his position for four more years in 2022. Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening 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. 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. 1 of 11 Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo greets her supporters at a primaries election night party at Axelrad Beer Garden, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston. 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). Hidalgo ( Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Harris County Judge in Texas. Code 7.104] 2 All State Senate seats are up for election in 2022 following redistricting in 2021. Sort of. Espaol / English. Cagle was unopposed on the Republican side. Members of her own party also tried to "preserve the status quo," Hidalgo said without naming anyone in particular. 3 . Particularly among the Democrats, she remains very popular.". The Houston region's high number of homicides, the state's new abortion ban and a flood of campaign . Despite seeing a barrage of criticisms . McGuinness previously covered the Rhode Island statehouse for the Associated Press and breaking news for the Boston Globe. 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. On Friday, Hidalgo County Judge Richard . TEXAS VOTER GUIDE: The key state and local races that your vote will decide in the November 8 midterm election. He grew up in Connecticut, graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, and is a die-hard Red Sox fan. HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's political future is on the line for 2022. The result: Cagles Republican-leaning precinct became a Democratic-leaning one. 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. . That fundraising ability allowed Mealer to distribute TV ads hammering home her message that crime is out of control and Hidalgo is to blame. Like most other candidates, Mealer is accepting campaign donations from county contractors. After briefly looking down and taking a pause, Hidalgo continued: "But y'all, didn't I say it would be a sweet victory?". LIVE UPDATES: 2022 Texas Primary Election Results. 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. Edinburg, Texas 78539. "Right now the county judge race is in a . she shouted to roaring applause. Ariana Garcia joined Chron in 2021. District Clerk Marilyn Burgess led her Democratic challenger in the early returns. I want to thank each & every voter who showed up to make their voice heard this election. A look back at Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's biggest moments of 2022. During her campaign, Hidalgo said she was also subjected to smears, attacks, and the "dirtiest political tricks" from statewide leaders like Gov. 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. "Truth won over lies." Her current term ends on December 31, 2026. While Commissioners Court and the county judge have little practical authority over abortion policy, Hidalgo has argued the court plays a role through its oversight of the county hospital system, which provides reproductive care to residents. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. She has defended the staffers, who are accused of steering a vaccine outreach contract to a politically connected vendor. Hidalgo cited the two Republicans blockade of a new tax rate as justification, saying they endangered vital county services. 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. We are a membership-based organization and our strength is found in the participation of our over eight thousand members. 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. Brioness lead over Cagle came in part by design. 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. Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared at a rally Tuesday supporting Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo . First Day to Apply for a Ballot by Mail. Following Democrat Lesley Briones' election win against incumbent Jack Cagle for Harris County Precinct 4 commissioner, Hidalgo noted that the Commissioners Court now has three Hispanics and two women. Ed Emmett (Republican Party) was the Harris County Judge in Texas. Its rattlesnake season in Texas. Hidalgo touts among her . Another administrative incumbent, Harris County Treasurer Dylan Osborne, appeared headed for defeat as well, trailing challenger Carla Wyatt. 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. The two emerged as victors in a nine-person primary election last month, with Mealer capturing 29 percent to Martinez's 26 percent. This is a developing story. The request to keep the polling sites open late was made by the Texas Organizing Project, Texas Civil Rights Project and the ACLU of Texas. Sen. Ted Cruz, who endorsed Mealer showed up at Mealer's election watch party. . Hidalgo has held the position since defeating then-incumbent and longtime County . For the latest and best fromChron,sign up for our daily newsletter here. Where do the candidates for Hidalgo County Judge stand on the biggest challenges facing colonia residents and the Rio Grande Valley? "Elections should not be about pitting one group against each other. ", Thank you to all those who supported our campaign for good governance pic.twitter.com/ZnjLvtQVTO.