seeks attorneys with 1-3 years litigation experience for its Morristown, NJ office. A new poll shows the Harris County Judge's race is neck-and-neck The poll released by the UH Hobby School of Public Affairs shows Democratic incumbent Lina Hidalgo at 48% among likely voters. Candidate John Grace Challenges Judge Ann-Marie Carruth for Lubbock County's 72nd District Court Seat. According to a 2020 Brand Keys Consumer . Hidalgo has touted annual increases to the countys public safety budget since she took office and sought to paint Mealer as an election denier a label Mealer unequivocally rejects, as she says Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. All Rights Reserved. Precinct 5 Ted Heap. During a Thursday hearing before the Senate Elections and Municipal Oversight & Elections Joint Committee, the . Don't miss the crucial news and insights you need to make informed legal decisions. ", SEE ALSO: Houston-area law enforcement getting 'first-of-its-kind' to combat rise in crime. Texas Molecular, the company contracted to dispose of the wastewater, informed Judge Lina Hidalgo Thursday that the first shipments had arrived by truck around Wednesday, February 15. Texas Republicans made Hidalgo a top target after she was elected. 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/. I'm running to protect our progress and keep Harris County moving forward. Hidalgo and other county officials are just not acknowledging the severity of the problem, Mealer said. And even before that, we'd been working as a commissioner's court to invest historic amounts of funding toward public safety.". Democrats also look to be winners in the two county commissioner seats as well, as incumbent Adrian Garcia leads former commissioner Jack Morman 52.6% (105,653) to 47.4% (95,363) in the Precinct 2 commissioners race, while Lesley Briones defeats Republican incumbent Jack Cagle 51.6% (121,391) to 48.4% (113,774). Constables. Your subscription will be migrated over. I have full faith in our elected officials and their ability to run a secure, transparent and efficient election and will without question certify the election results as long as our County Clerk and County Tax Assessor testify to the integrity of the process and are the ones administering the election., Gerald Harris on social media: Facebook | Twitter. Women, Influence & Power in Law UK Awards honors women lawyers who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession. Looking at the county's data, we found that while the criminal court backlog is getting better post-Hurricane Harvey and post-pandemic, it's still part of a greater problem with criminal justice. Below the Waterlines: Houston After Hurricane Harvey, Lucio Vasquez / Houston Public Media| Alexandra del Moral Mealer's website, Q&A with Lina Hidalgo: Harris County judge discusses pressing issues facing Houston region, Harris County Precinct 5 Constable's Office, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo explains evolving stance on toxic wastewater shipments from Ohio, Toxic wastewater shipments from Ohio trail derailment headed back to Houston area, Firefighting wastewater from Ohio train derailment began arriving in Deer Park last week, Hidalgo says, Santa Fe High School shooter remains mentally incompetent to stand trial, further dragging on 5-year-old case, Houston remains one of the most affordable big cities in the U.S., even if it no longer feels like it, Santa Fe shooting survivor Trey Louis tugs at judges heartstrings on American Idol, Bun B announces part of RodeoHouston Southern Takeover lineup, DPS sent at least 3,000 drivers licenses to organized crime group targeting Asian Texans, A bill making illegal voting a felony, again, advances in the Texas Senate, Firefighting wastewater from Ohio train derailment to be disposed of in Harris County, experts say it's a common process. 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. Cox, the Democratic candidate, beat Olsen in 2018, who at the time had presided over the same court for years. Harris County Judge's race is a "Statistical Dead Heat". Keeping Harris County safe: from natural disasters, from crime, and from any other threat to our health and well-being. Its clearly not a localized phenomenon, said Sandra Guerra Thompson, a professor at the University of Houstons Law Center. All Rights Reserved. In the time Ive been in office, weve been able to tackle issues that went unaddressed for too long, Hidalgo said in an interview. 2005-2022 Community Impact Newspaper Co. All rights reserved. Continuing to strengthen our flood resilience and our disaster preparedness. Thats what I believe we need to be moving toward. Mom of 2, stabbed 8 times, is making most of second chance at life, Mom's bond raised months after being charged with role in son's death, Mom's purse snatched while picking up child from daycare, police say. 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. Hidalgo has rejected Mealers proposal, arguing that the county already has hundreds of unfilled law enforcement positions. For updates on this story, follow Tom Abrahams on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It is imperative to have safe and efficient roadway systems, which is accomplished through investment in maintenance and roadway expansions. "If you live in Dallas or Harris or Travis County, there is a very good chance every judge elected to the bench is going to be a Democrat, and in some of the rural counties, it will be the . My biggest concern is on the certification of the votes. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. Precinct 6 Silvia Trevino. My priority is providing access to brighter opportunities. Hidalgo also has tried to tie Mealer to former President Donald Trump and the states abortion ban, which county judges have little to do with as the top elected officials in county government. There have been some glitches on this Election Day for the nation's first primary of 2022. Rachel covers Harris County and the Harris County Commissioners Court for Community Impact Newspaper in partnership with Report for America. New numbers show the race between Lina Hidalgo and Alexandra Mealer is extremely tight. 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. 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. To those who are skeptical about my ability to execute my campaign promises, I would just say that if you think I am moving fast on the campaign trail, imagine how fast I can run once in office with a full team behind me," Alexandra Mealer statement on new poll said. Mealer, however, doesnt see a need to weigh in. But a year of scandal and strife has complicated Hidalgos reelection bid. HARRIS COUNTY, Texas Democratic incumbent Judge Lina Hidalgo will serve another term as county judge for Texas' most populous county after Republican challenger Alexandra del Moral. 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. 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. Join others and make your gift to Houston Public Media today. Filing Window. "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. Republicans are betting that a national midterm environment thats generally unfavorable to Democrats, marked by Bidens low approval ratings and high inflation, could be enough to oust Hidalgo and regain a majority on the five-member court. Hidalgo netted the overwhelming majority of her votes through straight-ticket voting, which was later abolished by the Texas Legislature, and beat Emmett by less than 2 percentage points. The poll found the most significant issues for all voters are crime and public safety followed by government corruption and voting rights. Its not where we need to be, but what were doing is working, Hidalgo said. Lucio Vasquez produces stories for Houston Public Media's daily radio newscast and writes stories for HoustonPublicMedia.org. 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. With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. Through the efficient movement of people and goods, we can maintain the competitiveness of the Port of Houston 20% of Texas GDPand continue to attract families and businesses to Harris County. Precinct 4 Mark Herman. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. Aimed to help Insurers prevent, prepare and prevail In adjudicating complex claims, negotiating settlements and winning cases. And voters recognize it. Both options are priced the same. Get highlights, trending news, and behind-the-scenes insights from Houston Public Media delivered to your inbox each week. George wins his second term as county judge after a big upset win in 2018. It is a complex issue with no easy solution, but as we get closer to going to the polls, there is no doubt, based on recent surveys and polling, that crime and public safety will be a factor in how Harris County voters cast their ballots. One Hidalgo ad accuses Mealer of staying silent while womens lives are in danger.. Its a matter of adding feet to the boots.. The process of keeping voter rolls updated for relocations and deaths is an ongoing effort that is a primary responsibility of the county," said Mealer. Hillary Clinton and Biden both won there by wider margins, as did Beto ORourke when he challenged U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. And Id say the answer is no.. Disclosure: Texans for Lawsuit Reform and the University of Houston have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Justice delayed is justice denied. Join others and make your gift to Houston Public Media today. But Mealer faces a tough climb in whats expected to be a tight race for the countys top position.