With all voting centers reporting, Hidalgo had 546,745 votes (50.74 percent) to Mealer's 530,788 (49.25 percent. Sam Gonzlez Kelly is a reporter for the Houston Chronicle. WINNERS AND LOSERS: Who won and who lost in the 2022 midterm elections across Houston and rest of Texas? Emmett left office in 2019. This 10 percentage point lead by . 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). 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. Kennedy is a reporter at Chron covering all things Houston. In April, three Hidalgo staff members, including her chief of staff, were indicted for misuse of official information and tampering with government evidence. Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria said some paper ballots got wrinkled and jammed, but most votes would be counted on time. The judge congratulated other candidates who . "They do that to get you talking about everything but Harris County. A sixth criminal judge, Jason Luong of the 185th district court, also trailed in his election but appeared headed for a runoff. 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 . Mealer's tough-on-crime campaign also spotlighted these accusations, framing the 31-year-old incumbent as an adversary of local law enforcement. Elections Lina Hidalgo reelected as Harris County judge . 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. Those showed potentially ominous trends for strongholds in the traditional Democratic coalition. Elections Harris County election results 2022: County judge, commissioners, propositions. Unofficial results for county, state and federal primary races have been released in Hidalgo County, with voters casting ballots in races, including county judge, criminal district attorney and governor. Meanwhile, across town at the Kirby Ice House, Mealer said the close margins show voters are paying attention. Cagle was unopposed on the Republican side. Judges at the courthouse quickly encountered trouble in those unofficial returns. 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. Hidalgo, meanwhile, raised about $2.4 million in . . Brandon Waltens | October 4, 2022. 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 . Dan Patrick, and Texas Comptroller Glen Hegar, particularly with accusations that she was "defunding" the police. 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. "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. The local Democratic Party administers the polling locations on Election Day. A look back at Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's biggest moments of 2022. Those voters had plenty of reasons for their own enthusiasm, including the implementation of a strict abortion ban by Republicans in Texas, and a relatively competitive gubernatorial contest. ", Thank you to all those who supported our campaign for good governance pic.twitter.com/ZnjLvtQVTO. Hidalgo has held the position since defeating then-incumbent and longtime County . First Day to Apply for a Ballot by Mail. Lawyers for the aides have maintained their innocence. Editor's Note: Calling all Rio Grande Valley candidates. Const. And the total number of votes will far surpass the total in 2014, the last time Republicans won countywide seats. 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. 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. 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. 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. Axios on linkedin. This is a carousel. 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. For the latest and best fromChron,sign up for our daily newsletter here. 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 . Del Moral Mealer is running in the Republican primary for Harris County Judge. 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. He initially joined the paper through the Hearst Journalism Fellowship program after covering the same beats for the San Antonio Express-News. 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. Staff writers Samantha Ketterer, Yilun Cheng and Elizabeth Trovall contributed to this report. Those two forces are clashing, according to Nancy Sims, a political analyst and lecturer of political science at the University of Houston. Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo talks to her supporters at an primaries election night party, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston. 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. 10:46 AM CDT October 23, 2022 . LUPE is a nonprofit organization that helps the community organize for and win a better quality of life. "That is a key priority," Hidalgo said. LIVE UPDATES: 2022 Texas Primary Election Results. Hidalgo also faced more specific challenges, including her fundraising disadvantage and a corruption probe. Mealer is trying to take full advantage, blanketing the airwaves with campaign ads and outspending the incumbent overall. 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. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenged it after Rogers' ruling, prompting the intervention by the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court. 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. The Editorial Board. 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. 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. Heres what you need to know. 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. The GOP race to face Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is getting nasty. HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas (KVEO) Hidalgo County's judge will seek to keep his position for four more years in 2022. Is Whataburger healthy? For several election cycles, Houston-area voters have favored Democrats over Republicans. . Instead, the ad makes a specific claim about Mealer and a specific policy. 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 Twitter Wednesday morning, Hidalgo celebrated her win, tweeting: "Yesterday, the people of Harris County chose optimism over fear & people over politics. 2022 / 08:13 AM CST . Martin trailed by a small margin, while the rest trailed by larger amounts. She has created a political base around her campaign to make her race one of the most important and contested races in the state.. With 205 of 259 precincts reporting in the Democratic primary, Ruben Ramirez was leading in the race for U.S. Representative . 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a Democrat, and Pct. Austin, TX, April 22, 2022 Republicans Vidal Martinez and Alexandra del Moral Mealer have hit the campaign trail in what has become a heated runoff race for a chance to replace Democratic incumbent Lina Hidalgo as Harris County judge.. 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 . Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo at a Commissioners Court meeting in February 2020. 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. She pointed to a recent city-county gun buyback program and county spending aimed at addressing maternal mortality. Members shall draw lots to determine who serves which terms. Former Army Capt. Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening Day? Welcome to Hidalgo County! TEXAS VOTER GUIDE: The key state and local races that your vote will decide in the November 8 midterm election. We pride ourselves on doing our best, being responsible with taxpayer . Emmett assumed office in 2007. Poll Watcher's Guide (PDF) Public Information Request (PDF) Election Forms Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer, Gary Fountain/Contributor. 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 . He initially joined the paper through the Hearst Journalism Fellowship program after covering the same beats for the San Antonio Express-News. 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. Last Day to Register to Vote. Jen Rice is a reporter for the Houston Chronicle covering Harris County government. Jaime E. Galvan 11/8/2022. Previously, she was a community news and breaking news reporter for the Austin American-Statesman. "The community has a position on these issues, and they want to know their leader's position. Candidate Information Texas Secretary of State. Staff members faced charges of misuse of official information and tampering with a government record in connection to a county contract awarded by Hidalgo's office to a local public relations firm to create a county COVID-19 outreach program. Incumbent US Rep Sylvia Garcia reacts as she watches televised election returns at the Election Night Watch Party hosted by the Harris Co. Democratic Party held at Chapman and Kirby Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 in Houston, TX. Moreover, Patrick confronted Hidalgo at the event and accused her of defunding the police despite increasing the law enforcement budget since 2019. Onward! Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo hugs U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia after being reelected for a second term on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022 in Houston. Hidalgo drew support from 45%. "We are just getting started.". In this one, Mealer is hoping to achieve the same feat, only with the parties swapped. 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. Austin, TX, October 4, 2022 A new poll out Tuesday shows voters prefer Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer to incumbent Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo 48 to 44 percent, with 8 percent undecided.. On behalf of the conservative Defend Texas Liberty Political Action Committee (PAC), CWS Research conducted the survey of 900 likely voters in Harris County between September 24 and October 1. 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. In the GOP primary for county treasurer, Kyle Scott led Eric Dick. 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. Alexandra Mealer is a tenacious campaigner, said Jessica Coln, a Houston-based Republican strategist who is uninvolved in the race. "The math is clear, and one plus one equals two, but they're still trying to pin that on us," she said. Democratic incumbent Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer addressed voters in Houston. 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." Don't elect their candidate for County Judge" or something and avoided a poor fact checking result. 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. She enjoys binge-watching anime and films makeup tutorials in her spare time. That's why tonight we are hosting a forum with the candidates for Hidalgo County Judge in the Democratic Party Primary. 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 . Judge Lina Hidalgo moved the COVID - 19 Threat to Level Orange at Houston Transtar Thursday, July 22, 2021, in Houston. "Right now the county judge race is in a . 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. 2022 Wave elections; Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo waits to speak to the media after the Harris County Commissioners Court went into executive session Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, in Houston. Mar 2, 2022. 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. Alexandra del Moral Mealer, the Republican nominee for Harris County judge, speaking at the press conference at the Harris County DeputiesOrganization in Houston. Throughout her reelection campaign, Hidalgo faced an onslaught of criticism from state Republicans, including Gov. Published March 1, 2022. As County judge, she oversees an annual budget of $4.3 billion with four other County commissioners (who all happen to be men). 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. (Jon Shapley, Staff photographer), Bun B, Badu, J.J. Watt celebrate RodeoHouston Southern Takeover, Exclusive: Abbott explains push against diversity hiring programs. 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. Texas 2022 Elections Texas' 2022 races coming into focus as candidate filings close. What does the data say? They attributed the delay to damaged ballot sheets that must be duplicated before they can be scanned by counting machines, according to Secretary of State John Scotts office. 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. 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 . Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is applauded as she arrives to a primaries election night party, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston. Turnout overall was down 10 percent, but de Leon noted it still marked the second-highest turnout for a midterm election here. Is Whataburger healthy? 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. 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. "With crime rising, is the focus increasing deputies or is it increasing social workers?" 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. Heres what you need to know. 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. She has defended the staffers, who are accused of steering a vaccine outreach contract to a politically connected vendor. HARRIS COUNTY ELECTION UPDATES: Mealer concedes county judge race to Hidalgo. The 31-year-old stood in front of supporters applauding and chanting her name at the office of the Harris Democratic Party. 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. Corresponding demonstrations led by members of local law enforcement only added to the sentiment that the judge's control was under pressure, and opposition against the incumbent was capped by the court being forced to adopt a no-new budget stance due to ongoing Republican no-shows. "She does seem to evoke strong emotions in either party. She was previously a political reporter with the Texas Signal. 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. 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 . Despite the odds seemingly piling up against Hidalgo as Election Day approached, the 31-year-old Democrat still managed to come out on top. November 8, 2022 General Election & Local Entities Elections. Running for Local Offices; Notable Links . Here is a look at some of her most significant moments of 2022. Marie D. De Jess, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer, Bun B, Badu, J.J. Watt celebrate RodeoHouston Southern Takeover, Exclusive: Abbott explains push against diversity hiring programs. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. For any questions regarding your voter information please call the Hidalgo County's Elections Department at (956) 318-2570. . Join us on Facebook Live and YouTube Live tonight, Friday, February 4th at 5 pm. Particularly among the Democrats, she remains very popular.". 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. Republican challenger Alexandra del Moral Mealer has conceded her bid to unseat Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, with unofficial results show her trailing by . Elections 2022 Election Guide: Harris County and Texas races to watch . On election night, Mealer conceded the race after unofficial results showed Hidalgo riding to a comfortable 15,000-vote lead. Now, emboldened by a combination of factors the felony indictment of three Hidalgo aides, a sharp rise in homicides mirroring a trend across the country, and favorable national conditions Harris County Republicans have rallied behind Mealer as perhaps their best shot to reverse their recent struggles. Who won and who lost in the 2022 midterm elections across Houston and rest of Texas? Jasper Scherer covers Texas politics and government for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. she shouted to roaring applause. Since July, Republican donors have poured nearly $9 million into Mealer's bid to unseat Hidalgo a staggering haul for a county judge race. 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. Dan Patrick, as well as her fellow commissioners Jack Cagle and Tom Ramsey. Hidalgo has maintained that the scandal was a politically motivated attack and has publicly defended her aides. 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. See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2022) General election. As many of you know, I am not a stranger to public service. Daniel Marichalar (D) Hidalgo County Criminal District Attorney. 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. In that race, Hidalgo a little-known challenger capitalized on Democratic enthusiasm in a midterm election under a drastically unpopular Republican president. 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. Both candidates have highlighted their ethnicityin their campaigns: Hidalgo was born in Colombia and immigrated with her family to the U.S. in 2005, while Mealer's paternal grandfather immigrated from Spain. Welcome to the Hidalgo County Elections Department! 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. Minerva Diaz (R) Hidalgo County Commissioner Precinct 4. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Hidalgos Republican opponent, Alexandra del Moral Mealer raised 4x the amount of fundraising money in her bid. November 8, 2022 (General) Hidalgo. 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, a Republican, do not face election this year. People are looking beyond party lines and looking to the person, and thats the way local politics really should be, Mealer told reporters following the initial results. Like most other candidates, Mealer is accepting campaign donations from county contractors. 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. WHEN: Friday, Feb 4th, 2022, at 5 pm ### LUPE is a nonprofit organization that helps the community organize for and win a better quality of life. It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your County Judge. MLB legend makes surprise appearance at Astros' Spring Training, Houston is ugly, and I've never felt more at home, Texas A&M upset win clears path for UH to snag top overall seed, Oops!
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