Lina Hidalgo (@LinaHidalgoTX) November 9, 2022. 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). 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. WINNERS AND LOSERS: Who won and who lost in the 2022 midterm elections across Houston and rest of Texas? 2022 / 08:13 AM CST . November 8, 2022 General Election & Local Entities Elections. Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening Day? Despite seeing a barrage of criticisms . The board praised her plans to combat violent crime in the county and promises to clear a backlog of criminal cases at the courthouse. 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. During her campaign, Hidalgo said she was also subjected to smears, attacks, and the "dirtiest political tricks" from statewide leaders like Gov. From attacks by Texas Republicans, charges filed . Turnout overall was down 10 percent, but de Leon noted it still marked the second-highest turnout for a midterm election here. She's facing challengers . Ballotpedia's 2022 elections analysis. Heres what you need to know. Marie D. De Jess/Staff photographer . Power-hungry politicians use our home to scapegoat immigrants, divide citizens and enrich wealthy special interests. Join us on Facebook Live and YouTube Live tonight, Friday, February 4th at 5 pm. Hidalgo County Courthouse 100 North Closner. What does the data say? 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. ELECTION CALENDAR DATES. "The math is clear, and one plus one equals two, but they're still trying to pin that on us," she said. LUPE was founded in 1989 by farmworker and civil rights leaders Cesar E. Chavez and Dolores Huerta. 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. Their Republican opponents will need runoffs to determine winners. Her current term ends on December 31, 2026. She has said the GOP plan would create hundreds of new positions that may never be filled, while preventing raises for the current police officers and cutting critical funding for flood control, public health, and other areas.. Minerva Diaz (R) Hidalgo County Commissioner Precinct 4. Since July, Republican donors have poured nearly $9 million into Mealer's bid to unseat Hidalgo a staggering haul for a county judge race. Axios on twitter. ), LIVE RESULTS TRACKER: Texas 2022 midterm elections: Live results from Abbott vs. Beto, Hidalgo vs. Mealer and more. Q&A with Harris County judge candidate Alexandra Mealer. That's why tonight we are hosting a forum with the candidates for Hidalgo County Judge in the Democratic Party Primary. Updated: . Harris County judge candidates . . We need more vaccine, Turner said. 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. Democratic County Judge Lina Hidalgo beat Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer by more than 18,000 votes. 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. Democratic incumbent Judge Lina Hidalgo will serve another term as county judge for Texas' most populous county after . 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. Members of her own party also tried to "preserve the status quo," Hidalgo said without naming anyone in particular. HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas (KVEO) Hidalgo County's judge will seek to keep his position for four more years in 2022. This is a carousel. 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. The County Judge is the presiding officer of the county commissioners court and the head of emergency management. Campaign Finance Reports. He grew up in Connecticut, graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, and is a die-hard Red Sox fan. Judge Lina Hidalgo moved the COVID - 19 Threat to Level Orange at Houston Transtar Thursday, July 22, 2021, in Houston. Heres what you need to know. Oct. 12, 2022. I want to thank each & every voter who showed up to make their voice heard this election. They answered questions from the . This is a carousel. BY THE NUMBERS: Republicans say violent crime is up, Dems say it's down. 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. So, I think it's actually harmful to spend a lot of time talking about issues that aren't in your control," Mealer said. Among those trailing are five criminal district court judges: Chuck Silverman, 183rd district court; Abigail Anastasio, 184th; Greg Glass, 208th; and Amy Martin, 263rd. 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. Vendor Portal . As Hidalgo's woes multiplied in commissioners court, her political opponent continued to rack up high-dollar contributions from well-heeled conservative donors. Rest assured that I take, very seriously, the responsibility to serve all of Hidalgo County. 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. In an interview, Mealer acknowledged Trump lost the 2020 election and said that, barring any obvious evidence of impropriety, she would accept the results in November if she loses. Democratic Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, left, is facing a challenge from Republican Alexandra Moral del Mealer. Those two forces are clashing, according to Nancy Sims, a political analyst and lecturer of political science at the University of Houston. Edinburg, Texas 78539. 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. Are ticket costs pricing Houston Astros fans out of Opening Day? 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. Hidalgo has scoffed at Mealers police hiring pledge, pointing to the countys more than 400 unfilled law enforcement positions. 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). Sort of. In 2022, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo had the odds stacked against her in a challenging campaign year to keep her top position in the county. We are a membership-based organization and our strength is found in the participation of our over eight thousand members. 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. Hidalgo also addressed the millions in campaign contributions her opponent garnered from "far right, Trump mega-donors," while campaigning for office. She was previously a political reporter with the Texas Signal. Republican Harris County Judge candidate Alexandra del Moral Mealer gets ready to talk to the media as early election results come in at her watch party at Kirby Ice House on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 in Houston. District Clerk Marilyn Burgess led her Democratic challenger in the early returns. another GOP candidate for county judge, called Hidalgo a "formidable campaigner," adding that progressives see her as a key component to flipping Texas blue. 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. 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. Lina Hidalgo defeated incumbent Ed Emmett and Eric Gatlin in the general election for Harris County Judge on November 6, . Release: Hidalgo County Judge Candidates Will Tackle the Biggest Challenges Facing Colonia, RGV Residents at LUPE Candidate Forum. (Jon Shapley, Staff photographer), Bun B, Badu, J.J. Watt celebrate RodeoHouston Southern Takeover, Exclusive: Abbott explains push against diversity hiring programs. November 8, 2022 (General) Hidalgo. Friday, November 4, 2022. Who won and who lost in the 2022 midterm elections across Houston and rest of Texas? Shortly before 5 a.m., the early votes and less than half of the 375 voting centers had been reported. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. No candidate in those two races had the majority needed to win outright on election night. Texas Ethics Commission . The primary election is March 1, 2022. He initially joined the paper through the Hearst Journalism Fellowship program after covering the same beats for the San Antonio Express-News. Hidalgo has maintained that the scandal was a politically motivated attack and has publicly defended her aides. 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 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. 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." In Precinct 2, former commissioner Jack Morman and Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton led three other candidates. Harris County Commissioner Pct. . 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. Please check back later for updates. Is Whataburger healthy? 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. Monday, February 14, 2022. It doesn't need to be that way. "Hidalgo continues to be the front-runner, primarily because of the makeup of Harris County in terms of partisanship," Cross said. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenged it after Rogers' ruling, prompting the intervention by the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court. She pointed to a recent city-county gun buyback program and county spending aimed at addressing maternal mortality. 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. A sixth criminal judge, Jason Luong of the 185th district court, also trailed in his election but appeared headed for a runoff. 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 balance of the five-member court is at stake in this election, with three incumbents up for re-election in competitive races. We earned them with hard work and with results over the past four years.". Ariana Garcia joined Chron in 2021. For any questions regarding your voter information please call the Hidalgo County's Elections Department at (956) 318-2570. . 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. Her biggest donor was Richard Weekley, a Houston-based developer and megadonor who contributed $400,000 to Mealers campaign. 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. 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 . LUPE was founded in 1989 by farmworker and civil rights leaders . DIRECTORY. Hidalgo, Garcia cruise through primary, while incumbent judges struggle, Timeline: How battle between Houston ISD, TEA has reached the point of a looming takeover. 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.