hidalgo county judge candidates 2022
"They do that to get you talking about everything but Harris County. Since July, Republican donors have poured nearly $9 million into Mealer's bid to unseat Hidalgo a staggering haul for a county judge race. 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. The vote totals confirmed just how hotly contested the local races were. Former Army Capt. ELECTION CALENDAR DATES. "No one really knows what the county judge does. 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. Sort of. (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. In the process, she became a champion to progressives who said that focus helped struggling households that the countys previously limited government left behind. Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria said some paper ballots got wrinkled and jammed, but most votes would be counted on time. She has defended the staffers, who are accused of steering a vaccine outreach contract to a politically connected vendor. Hidalgo has maintained that the scandal was a politically motivated attack and has publicly defended her aides. Harris County commissioner candidate Lesley Briones introduces gubernatorial candidate Beto ORourke during a rally outside of the West Gray Recreational Area on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 in Houston. 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. Republicans say violent crime is up, Dems say it's down. He grew up in Connecticut, graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, and is a die-hard Red Sox fan. Democrats also have a 12-point historic edge in Precinct 2, where Garcia's lead over his challenger and predecessor, Morman, had grown to 5 percentage points by 4 a.m. Pct. Welcome to Hidalgo County! 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Please type your name EXACTLY as it appears on your VOTER REGISTRATION RECORD. Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening Day? Mealer, a combat veteran who served in Afghanistan, says she wants the county to go back to the basics and has said she will hire 1,000 additional law enforcement officers if elected and Republicans win a majority on Commissioners Court. 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. The vote intention in the race for Harris County judge is 52% for Democrat Lina Hidalgo and 42% for Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer, with 6% undecided. Early voting will begin Monday, October 24, 2022 and will run through. She assumed office on January 1, 2019. If you are running in the March 2022 primaries, we want to hear from you. The judge congratulated other candidates who won in Tuesday's election, including Democratic Precinct 2 commissioner Adrian Garcia's victory over his Republican opponent Jack Morman. According to the County Administrator's office, the county has added 47 deputies and 12 social workers since 2020. While Hidalgo has raised millions from small-dollar donors, she has struggled to keep pace with Mealer, who reported a fundraising haul of $4.9 million from July 1 through Sept. 29, the latest period covered by public campaign finance reports. Hidalgo has touted her record steering the county through several major emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic and last years winter storm, and establishing programs focused on early childhood education, pandemic recovery and environmental health and monitoring. Candidate Information Texas Secretary of State. The result: Cagles Republican-leaning precinct became a Democratic-leaning one. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Houston still trails well behind other big cities around the country, many of which experienced a sharper rise in violent crime. 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. Who won and who lost in the 2022 midterm elections across Houston and rest of Texas? She's responsible for emergency management, which means she's in charge when disasters strike, whether that comes in the form of chemical fires, floods, a pandemic or power grid failures during a historic winter storm . "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, 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. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Democrat Lina Hidalgo has secured a second term as Harris County Judge, defeating her Republican challenger Alex Mealer in a highly contested race for the head of the county's governing body. 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. 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. 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 . As many of you know, I am not a stranger to public service. We need more vaccine, Turner said. Dylan McGuinness covers City Hall and local politics for the Houston Chronicle. Candidates Richard Cortez (incumbent), Norma Ramirez, and Tania Ramirez will each have 30 minutes to discuss their stance on the biggest challenges facing colonia residents and RGV residents. For the latest and best fromChron,sign up for our daily newsletter here. 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. Previously, she was a community news and breaking news reporter for the Austin American-Statesman. WINNERS AND LOSERS: Who won, who lost, who's going to a runoff in primary elections across Houston, rest of Texas. What does the data say? Cortez, Tania Ramirez, and Norma Ramirez are running in the Democratic Party primary. Edinburg, Texas 78539. A sixth criminal judge, Jason Luong of the 185th district court, also trailed in his election but appeared headed for a runoff. 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. 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. Despite the odds seemingly piling up against Hidalgo as Election Day approached, the 31-year-old Democrat still managed to come out on top. If the unofficial results stand, Democrats would retain and expand control of the county government four years after they won a majority for the first time in decades. While Mealer and other GOP candidates running for seats on Commissioners Court have maintained an intense focus on crime and public safety, those issues are far from the only challenges facing Harris County government, which also is responsible for planning out billions of dollars in flood control projects, overseeing development in unincorporated areas and running public health institutions that provide treatment for a large share of the county's uninsured, low-income residents. Help us ask the candidates for Hidalgo County Judge the challenging questions. 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. 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. Hidalgo argued Republicans are forcing the county to scale back other essential services, and as she commented on the impacts to various departments, Mealer supporters rolled their eyes, laser-focused on their candidates goal of hiring more patrol officers. Shortly before 5 a.m., the early votes and less than half of the 375 voting centers had been reported. For any questions regarding your voter information please call the Hidalgo County's Elections Department at (956) 318-2570. . "My opponent will often say, well, none of these are county issues," Hidalgo said. Onward! Elections 2022 Election Guide: Harris County and Texas races to watch . The Editorial Board. . Members shall draw lots to determine who serves which terms. Hidalgo County Courthouse 100 North Closner. "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. LUPE was founded in 1989 by farmworker and civil rights leaders Cesar E. Chavez and Dolores Huerta. 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. Editor's note: This article has been updated to include responses submitted by Alexandra del Moral Mealer. She has evolved into a savvy, hard-nosed, driven candidate, and she has been incredibly successful in raising the funds necessary to compete with Lina Hidalgo. November 8, 2022 (General) Hidalgo. First Day of Early Voting. 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. Bun B, Badu, J.J. Watt celebrate RodeoHouston Southern Takeover, Exclusive: Abbott explains push against diversity hiring programs. . Code 7.104] 2 All State Senate seats are up for election in 2022 following redistricting in 2021. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo at a Commissioners Court meeting in February 2020. Hidalgo took . . For the first time, the two candidates for Harris County judge, incumbent Lina Hidalgo and challenger Alexandra Mealer, sat down face-to-face. Many pundits have said these races are too close to call, and early vote returns reflect that these races are tight, Sims said. Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo greets her supporters at an primaries election night party at Axelrad Beer Garden, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston. Hidalgo's slight edge over Mealer emerged with the results of early and absentee voting, and remained largely the same as the county's tallying process dragged on into the morning. Dan Patrick, and Texas Comptroller Glen Hegar, particularly with accusations that she was "defunding" the police. The last-minute celebrity endorsements were one of Hidalgos last campaign moves before the Nov. 8 election. Mealer, who keyed in on violent crime in Harris County, was also favored in donations, outraising Hidalgo by nearly $7 million in campaign contributions thanks in large part to a number of generous GOP donors. Its rattlesnake season in Texas. Lina Hidalgo defeated incumbent Ed Emmett and Eric Gatlin in the general election for Harris County Judge on November 6, . 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. 2023 Commissioner's Court Meetings Calendar. Early voting in the March primary begins on Valentine's Day. 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. Employees Only. That means our county judge must be ready to lead our community through these challenges and toward a thriving future. The race for county judge in Harris County is in a statistical dead heat, with Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer leading Democrat Lina Hidalgo by 2% (47% to 45%, with 8% undecided). Mealer's tough-on-crime campaign also spotlighted these accusations, framing the 31-year-old incumbent as an adversary of local law enforcement. art. ", Yesterday, the people of Harris County chose optimism over fear & people over politics. Please check back later for updates. Oct. 12, 2022. According to Harris County officials, Patrick told Hidalgo to sit down and shut up multiple times at the funeral. Welcome to the Hidalgo County Elections Department! Del Moral Mealer is running in the Republican primary for Harris County Judge. 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. 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a Democrat, and Pct. Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared at a rally Tuesday supporting Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo for reelection. she shouted to roaring applause. 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 . The ongoing political showdown over the county's annual budget process has pitted the Mealer and Hidalgo camps firmly against one another, offering voters a clear view of the candidates different visions for the role Harris County government should play. Hidalgo also found herself at the center of controversy earlier this year after three of her top aides were indicted by a grand jury. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022. Editor's Note: Calling all Rio Grande Valley candidates. defeat of Republican challenger Alex Mealer in Tuesday's Harris County judge election. 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. And Mealer, 38, a retired Army veteran, ran a spirited campaign arguing that Hidalgo has forsaken public safety in the name of extracurricular goals. Here is a look at some of her most significant moments of 2022. Mealer has framed those unfilled positions as another failure on Hidalgo's part, suggesting the county recruit from military bases and offer signingbonuses using federal COVID relief funds. More than 80 percent of Mealer's contributions were spent on advertising, while Hidalgo spent more than 87 percent, according to a report from Community Impact. 3 . Democratic Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, left, is facing a challenge from Republican Alexandra Moral del Mealer. Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Her biggest donor was Richard Weekley, a Houston-based developer and megadonor who contributed $400,000 to Mealers campaign. Alexandra del Moral Mealer, the Republican candidate for Harris County Judge, chats with attendees and other candidates running for difference offices during a meet and greet hosted by Magic Circle Republican Women, Log Cabin Republicans of Houston and the Houston Young Republicans in the Heights on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. 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. Another well-to-do donor on the list of Mealer supporters is beloved Houston Gallery Furniture salesman Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, who cut televised endorsements for Hidalgo's challenger and would go on to publicly tussle with the judge after her campaign's end. 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. Brioness lead over Cagle came in part by design. Updated: Jun 18, 2021 / 01:46 PM CDT. Those two forces are clashing, according to Nancy Sims, a political analyst and lecturer of political science at the University of Houston. More often, though, her campaign rhetoric has focused on fending off attacks from Mealer and throwing her own punches at the GOP nominee. 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. 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. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office at (956)318-2570. If Hidalgo holds on to win, she will have overcome an aggressive re-election fight in a hostile political climate for Democrats. Harris County judgeLina Hidalgotalks to her supporters at a primaries election night party, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston. Emmett assumed office in 2007. 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. Throughout her reelection campaign, Hidalgo faced an onslaught of criticism from state Republicans, including Gov. A new study says yes. Hidalgo enjoyed a small lead in the 2018 early vote, and she performed better on Election Day, growing her lead to secure a 50-to-48 percent victory. In April, three Hidalgo staff members, including her chief of staff, were indicted for misuse of official information and tampering with government evidence. 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, Who won, who lost, who's going to a runoff in primary elections across Houston, rest of Texas, 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. 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. Against the newcomer, Hidalgo's campaign appeared unworried about Mealer's prospects and trusted voters would secure her position again. 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. Monday, February 14, 2022. 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. This is a carousel. Hidalgo cited the two Republicans blockade of a new tax rate as justification, saying they endangered vital county services. Ariana Garcia joined Chron in 2021. 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. 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. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 2. 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. 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. Is Whataburger healthy? Minerva Diaz (R) Hidalgo County Commissioner Precinct 4. EXPLAINER: What you need to know about Lina Hidalgo and Alex Mealer in the race for Harris County judge. Axios on linkedin. The board praised her plans to combat violent crime in the county and promises to clear a backlog of criminal cases at the courthouse. 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. 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. The primary election is March 1, 2022. The poll, which surveyed nearly 1,000 likely election voters, has Mealer leading 48 percent to Hidalgo's 44 percent. The redistricting also cost him familiarity with voters, essentially switching the areas covered by Precincts 3 and 4. Alexandra del Moral Mealer and attorney Vidal Martinez were leading the nine-candidate Republican field for the GOPs nomination for county judge. 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 argues the county judge still can play a role on issues on which the county lacks direct oversight, such as gun control and abortion. 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. And the total number of votes will far surpass the total in 2014, the last time Republicans won countywide seats. Axios on twitter. Hidalgo's victory helped secure a 4-1 Democratic majority on the court that was sealed after former civil court judge Lesley Briones beat incumbent Republican commissioner Jack Cagle for the Precinct 4 seat. District Clerk Marilyn Burgess led her Democratic challenger in the early returns. Alexandra Mealer is a tenacious campaigner, said Jessica Coln, a Houston-based Republican strategist who is uninvolved in the race. 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. Her current term ends on December 31, 2026. Campaign finance reports also showed Mealer outraised Hidalgo with $10 million in the campaign chest. She enjoys traveling and reading romance novels. For several election cycles, Houston-area voters have favored Democrats over Republicans. Where do the candidates for Hidalgo County Judge stand on the biggest challenges facing colonia residents and the Rio Grande Valley?