Nov 08, 2022. No Republican Party candidates filed to run. I'm interested in running for Harris County Judge, Harris County Board of Elections, 1001 Preston, Houston, Texas, 77002, US. . As county judge, I will support using toll road dollars to maintain and expand our roadway system and advocate for partnership funding. After judge Greg Glass set bonds of $10,000 and $20,000 for two drug charges against thirty-year-old Deon Ledet, the Harris County man went free and allegedly killed one police officer and injured . 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When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. We need to put everything we can into working through this backlog and getting the criminal justice system functioning.. But a year of scandal and strife has complicated Hidalgos reelection bid. Lina Hidalgo ( Democratic Party) is the Harris County Judge in Texas. "The Republicans have taken on the mantle of we're standing against crime and they've said things like we need more police officers, constables, sheriff's deputies on the streets. Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association P.O. We will make the jail safe for both jail staff and inmates. So shes running ads about abortion. Join others and make your gift to Houston Public Media today. Two candidates are vying for the position of Harris County judge in the upcoming Nov. 8 election with Republican candidate Alexandra del Moral Mealer challenging the incumbent Democratic judge, Lina Hidalgo, who was elected in 2018. Rene Cross, executive director of the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston, said Hidalgo is very popular among Democrats and very unpopular among Republicans. By Rachel Carlton If you'd like to sign up now, fill out the form below and we will add you as soon as we finish the transition. The poll found the most significant issues for all voters are crime and public safety followed by government corruption and voting rights. Mealer is responding in a statement said: Lina Hidalgo is desperate to avoid discussing the critical issues facing Harris County residents due to her extensive record of failures. Jason Cox, the one-term judge presiding over Harris County Probate Court 3, will have to defeat Republican candidate Rory Olsen a second time to hold onto the seat. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022. Mealer raised more than $4.9 million from July 1 to Sept. 29, according to her latest campaign finance report dwarfing the $301,000 that Emmett raised in a similar time frame during his unsuccessful 2018 reelection campaign. Gain access to some of the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys with our 2 bundle options! Updated I think more likely than not she will prevail, but its not a guarantee by any stretch of the imagination.. We have two Democratic women in office that had their duties stripped away from them by Lina Hidalgo - they were elected by the people and answerable to the people of Harris County. Weve made significant progress on the backlog with a $17 million investment to add additional judges to the bench and fund technical improvements that allow cases to move faster. Its clearly not a localized phenomenon, said Sandra Guerra Thompson, a professor at the University of Houstons Law Center. Courtesy Erica Davis, a Democrat running for Harris. 1:42 PM Oct 11, 2022 CDT. Like Texas other major urban counties, Harris County has grown increasingly Democratic over the past decade. Incumbent Marilyn Burgess defeated Chris Daniel in the general election for Harris County District Clerk on November 8, 2022. She assumed office on January 1, 2019. "The county judge race is a great example of the axiom, every vote matters, because that's a race that may be decided by a handful of votes one way or another," Jones said. A West Point graduate and ex-Army captain who served for a decade in Afghanistan, Mealer has put Hidalgo on the defensive over the countys crime numbers which mirror trends seen in most major U.S. metropolitan areas during the COVID-19 pandemic and a criminal court backlog that dates back to Hurricane Harvey, before Hidalgo took office. Women, Influence & Power in Law UK Awards 2023, Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards 2023, LITIGATION ATTORNEY - ATLANTA, GEORGIA- ENTRY LEVEL, AARONSON RAPPAPORT FEINSTEIN & DEUTSCH, LLP, The Art of Entertainment Law: A Conversation with Robert A. Celestin, Buying Legal Council Appoints Jason Winmill as New Chair, Understanding the Las Vegas Crime Rate with Attorney Tony Sgro, Introducing Virginia Ivanova, Esq. The industry-leading media platform offering competitive intelligence to prepare for today and anticipate opportunities for future success. Although she spends most of her weekends outside of Harris County, namely to fundraise in D.C., she is not running for national office, and she is not running against Trump. Hegar's office has backed off for now. "Didn't really understand what that change was, chief of it being petty crime turning to violent crime.". Three of Hidalgos staffers drew felony indictments in April on charges stemming from how they helped award an $11 million contract for a COVID-19 vaccine outreach campaign which Hidalgo later agreed to cancel to a political consulting firm headed by a Democratic strategist. Harris County Republican Party | 8588 Katy Freeway, Suite 445 Houston, TX 77024 | (713) 838-7900 Business hours | 10 am - 4 pm Monday through Friday Among Mealers top donors are Richard Weekley and Alan Hassenflu, real estate developers and co-founders of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, who contributed $400,000 and $350,000, respectively. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, left, and Alexandra del Moral Mealer, Hidalgos opponent, talk to members of the Houston Chronicle editorial board on Sept. 29. criminal indictment of three Hidalgo staffers, a common practice among county commissioners, the effect on violent crime is less clear. The race figured to be tight as Mealer, the Army veteran and West Point graduate who went to Harvard Law School, ran hard as the Republican challenger against Hidalgo to fight crime and put more resources into law enforcement in the county. Its said you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep, Jim Mattress Mack McIngvale, a Houston businessman and local celebrity, says in an ad for Mealer released Sunday that highlights the indictments. Each attorney is granted unlimited access to high quality, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry along with administrative access to easily manage CLE for the entire team. Luong then practiced law with two civil trial law firms in Houston. So partly, I felt a responsibility to address an issue that is so, so salient.. Application Guidelines 1) Contact the Harris County Elections Office to confirm that your registered address qualifies you for the position you intend to run for, and that you meet other office specific qualifications. Eight percent of voters are still undecided. Barack Obama barely won the county in 2008 and 2012. Houston Public Media is supported with your gifts to the Houston Public Media Foundation and is licensed to the University of Houston. Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates the Musical comes to Hobby Center, Man connected to Leslie Obis death arrested, HPD, Fight leads to a man being shot in west Houston,, HPD arrests man accused of 2 shootings at same house, Jokic has 100th triple-double; Nuggets down Rockets, Crosby ISD to go to four-day school weeks, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "Anyone can spend money,' Mealer said. HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's political future is on the line for 2022. And the big absence is how many constables have you added? Hidalgo ( Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Harris County Judge in Texas. I think shes shown a remarkable ability to exercise leadership during a moment of crisis and, in her case, a series of crises, said County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a Democrat and Hidalgo ally. In an interview this past summer, the Republican nominee for Harris County Judge, Alexandra del Moral Mealer, said crime was a big reason she threw her hat into the race. One Hidalgo ad accuses Mealer of staying silent while womens lives are in danger.. If they fail to retake the seat, they fear it could be curtains for them in the states most populous county Harris residents account for 16% of the states population and that could make it harder to maintain their hold on statewide power. As early voting begins, a new poll shows how tight the race for Harris County judge is. Example video title will go here for this video. Andrew Schneider is the senior reporter for politics and government at Houston Public Media, NPR's affiliate station in Houston, Texas. Our second option allows you to build your bundle and strategically select the content that pertains to your needs. Harris County Judge's race is a "Statistical Dead Heat" New. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar in August accused county officials of violating a new state law aimed at discouraging local elected officials from cutting police spending when they ended a policy allowing county constables to roll over unspent funds to the next years budget. Contact Us| What is the biggest issue facing Harris County right now, and how do you plan to address it? Oct. 20, 20225 AM Central. ABC13 also heard from the Mealer campaign who said they were not surprised at parts of the new poll: "As early voting gets underway, the new University of Houston - Hobby School of Public Affairs poll is solid confirmation that residents want new leadership in Harris County. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. A longtime county resident, Schultz said she began her legal career in the county in 1991 after receiving her law degree and master's degree in English from Duquesne University. Harris County courthouse. Shes been tested in a way very few people in public life have been tested because of so many crises.. Tags chemical disaster Deer Park East Palestine train derailment Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo hazardous waste Texas Molecular. RELATED: UH poll shows tight race for Harris County Judge. If Mealer wins in November, she said, I think that we would see an undoing of a lot of that work.. Harris County, Texas contains 60 judicial districts, four probate courts and one county court. I'm interested in running for this office. "Crime and public safety is the dominant issue and that gives a real advantage to Alex Mealer because a plurality of Harris County voters believe she is the one who's best suited to handle the county's strong problems with crime and public safety," Jones explained. I frankly view all of this as a distraction from the actual county judge position, Mealer said. Thats scary to me, thats scary to me win or lose, Hidalgo said. Hildago, who opened a 10-point lead in recent polling, is accusing Mealer of being an election denier and is questioning whether she would respect the voting wishes of Harris County. Like nearly every major U.S. metropolitan area, the Houston region saw a surge of violent crime, particularly homicides, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Troy Nehls (who won reelection to the U.S. House), challenged Georges standing with local small businesses, especially after the pandemic. Some critics, including Mealer, have blamed the backlog for the increase in crime, saying offenders are committing new crimes as they await trial for old ones a claim crime experts have said has scant evidence to back it up. Its not where we need to be, but what were doing is working, Hidalgo said. And voters recognize it. Incumbent Lina Hidalgo held off a tough challenge from Alexandra del Moral Mealer to win a second term as Harris County Judge. And even before that, we'd been working as a commissioner's court to invest historic amounts of funding toward public safety.". Terms of Service. Boutique law firm specializing in sophisticated real estate litigation &representation of commercial and residential tenants seeks one ( CASH KRUGLER & FREDERICKS LLC is Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary & Newest Partners! 2. Harris County Board of Elections, 1001 Preston, Houston, Texas, 77002, US. The Judge overseeing this case is ROBERTS, KATHLEEN H. The case status is Disposed - Other Disposed. George touted the countys economic standing, his response during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the countys diversity as reasons for his reelection. The number of homicides in Harris County grew to 566 in 2020 a 42% increase from the previous year, before COVID-19 hit. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- As early voting began Monday, a new poll revealed how tight the race is for Harris County judge. For updates on this story, follow Nick Natario on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Each commissioner also supervises a Road and Bridge District. With early voting underway, Jones says the poll shows just how important voting is. Appeals from the Southern District go to the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit . Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. "And for those who say they might do more, that is two-thirds of the county budget going towards justice and going towards safety. On 07/27/2022 LEONARD, LEWIS filed a Property - Residential Eviction lawsuit against HARRIS, SHARONDA. 2022 Texas Elections: Use This Voter Guide to Research Candidates Running for Judge, DOJ, Trump Spar Over Presidential Record Designation in Newly Unsealed Papers, 'Reckless and Factually Untrue': Trump Lawyers to Pay $66K After Failed RICO Suit, 'Utterly Baseless': Court Upholds Sanctions for Attorneys Behind Frivolous Election Fraud Case, Who Just Became Judge? Her current term ends on December 31, 2026. Now, Hidalgo is running on her record, particularly her response to multiple disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic during which she built a national profile and became one of the states most recognizable Democrats. RELATED: Political experts believe the Chronicle's endorsement can be crucial in race for Harris County judge, "Our latest budget has $1.5 billion dollars toward crime," she said in late August. Law.com Compass delivers you the full scope of information, from the rankings of the Am Law 200 and NLJ 500 to intricate details and comparisons of firms financials, staffing, clients, news and events. There have been some glitches on this Election Day for the nation's first primary of 2022. The results mean that there will now be four Democrats and only one Republican (Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey) on the Harris County Commissioners Court in 2023. Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys. [Previously], Harris County worked in a bipartisan fashion and didnt get bogged down in left vs. right. Mealer has said she would pay for the additional officers with a combination of budget cuts and federal stimulus dollars, though she hasnt released a detailed plan. Site Map, Advertise| With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. Texas Democrats Thrash Republicans in 2022 Midterm Election, Law.com Editors and Analysts Offer Top Trends to Watch for 2023. Law.com Compass includes access to our exclusive industry reports, combining the unmatched expertise of our analyst team with ALMs deep bench of proprietary information to provide insights that cant be found anywhere else. Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association. If re-elected, Ill continue to see the bond projects through as fast as possible, while asking honestly, What will it take for Harris County to be truly flood resilient? And, Ill get it done. And so I think it makes it really hard to argue that its due to any one person or one partys policies.. Access to the entire ALM network of websites, Unlimited access to the ALM suite of newsletters, Build custom alerts on any search topic of your choosing. It is imperative to have safe and efficient roadway systems, which is accomplished through investment in maintenance and roadway expansions. He also reports on major policy issues before the Texas Legislature and county and city governments Let the Houston Public Media newsroom help you start your day. In terms of elections in Harris County, I fully support returning elections back to our elected officials, regardless of their political affiliation. October 14, 2022 . And while every countywide position is held by a Democrat, the county judges seat has been in Democratic hands for only four years. Democrat Erica Davis announced her run for Harris County Judge, joining 11 other challengers in the race to unseat Lina Hidalgo. Democratic primary election Democratic primary for Harris County District Clerk Incumbent Marilyn Burgess defeated Desiree Broadnax in the Democratic primary for Harris County District Clerk on March 1, 2022. The biggest issue facing Harris County is the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester. Poll reveals what are the top issues on voters' minds as they head to the polls. 13 Investigates looked at the latest Harris County Sheriff's Office crime, and the data reveals it does not seem to matter whether it's a republican or democrat running the county. Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided. I did it while making bold changes to how our government operatesfrom record law enforcement funding, to early childhood education, smarter flood control and everything in between. It's how you spend that money. Michelle Homer 3/1/2022. He was born in Port Arthur, Texas and has lived in Harris County for 38 years. Mealer said she plans to hire 1,000 more county law enforcement officers to deal with the surge. **Please note** If you are already signed up for the newsletter, you do not need to sign up again. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. The California-based Harris/Thaler Law Corporation has evidence that connects Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, Runbeck Election Services, and a disturbing number of Filing Window. 2 in November 2022, replacing then-sitting Judge Ronnisha Bowman. Get highlights, trending news, and behind-the-scenes insights from Houston Public Media delivered to your inbox each week. Aimed to help Insurers prevent, prepare and prevail In adjudicating complex claims, negotiating settlements and winning cases. "National factors are aiding Mealer that the Biden administration is unpopular, and people continue to be very concerned about crime and public safety in Harris County.". The Commissioners Court also approves the budget and sets the tax rate for the hospital district, which is charged with the responsibility for providing acute medical care for citizens who otherwise would not receive adequate medical services. Our Compliance bundles are curated by CLE Counselors and include current legal topics and challenges within the industry. Nehls, the twin brother of Rep. FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service delivering breaking news as well as political and business news. Opposing perspectives can push us to find more equitable solutions, and I am dedicated to keeping Harris County moving forward. County budget officials also are examining whether they can use county funds to provide contraception or transport pregnant people out of state should they need an abortion, she said. ABC13 checked with the Harris County Sheriff's Office and learned as of Monday, Oct. 17, there are 235 openings for deputies. When I launched my campaign in November of 2021, public safety was my top priority. In the Nov. 8. election, Judge Jason Cox of Harris County Probate Court 3 will face Republican candidate Rory Olsen, who was judge of the same court for several four-year terms. https://www.law.com/texaslawyer/2022/10/14/harris-county-judge-jason-cox-to-face-2nd-challenge-from-former-judge-rory-olsen-in-probate-court-3/. Ive steered Harris County through a winter storm, chemical fires, floods, hurricanes and COVID[-19]. Women, Influence & Power in Law UK Awards honors women lawyers who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession. Before I was elected, county government flew under the radar, dodged tough decisions and operated reactively, not proactively. New numbers show the race between Lina Hidalgo and Alexandra Mealer is extremely tight. So tell me, what does this company tell you about Lina Hidalgo?. Don't miss the crucial news and insights you need to make informed legal decisions. Its our 10th year participating in Amplify, and to celebrate, weve got $15,000 in matching funds from four generous Tribune supporters. HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A sticking point in the county's budget is funding law enforcement as democrats and republicans stake their positions on public safety heading into a hotly contested race for Harris County judge. Double your gift when you give by 6 p.m. Thursday. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. She is connecting Mealer and former PresidentDonald Trump closely together. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. During a Thursday hearing before the Senate Elections and Municipal Oversight & Elections Joint Committee, the . "I think it's very political and it's basically split among the parties," Bunin said. The Commissioners Court sets the County tax rate, adopts the budget, appoints boards and commissions, approves grants and personnel actions, and oversees the administration of county government. 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Copyright 2023 ALM Global, LLC. Though experts in policing tend to agree that increasing the presence of police officers generally results in lower crime rates, the effect on violent crime is less clear. I ran because this is the best position to impact public safety.. Hidalgo also backed measures to make it easier for people to vote during the pandemic, including 24-hour drive-thru voting which inspired state Republican lawmakers to enact a sweeping bill last year that outlawed those same voting measures. [1] The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas has jurisdiction in Harris County. According to data from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the number of violent crimes in Harris County fell 12% during the first nine months of this year compared with the same period last year.