Harris County Judge Hidalgo Will Not Seek New Term

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo will not seek reelection in 2026, her office confirmed Monday night.  

That means Harris County will have a new leader for the first time since Hidalgo took office in 2019.  

Hidalgo, a Democrat, was elected to her first term in 2018 with a shocking defeat of Republican Ed Emmett. She won reelection in 2022 in a contentious race over Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer. 

Hidalgo told ABC13’s Melanie Lawson in an exclusive interview that she is honoring a promise she made when she was first elected: to serve only two terms.

“The first time I was elected, I said immediately, ‘I don’t want to do this for 30 years. I don’t want to have more than two terms,'” she said.

When asked about rumors that she was eyeing Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia’s seat in District 29, Hidalgo denied the speculation and expressed support for Garcia. Hidalgo said she will do everything she can to back Garcia’s candidacy and other Democrats around the state.

Hidalgo said she is unsure of what will come next in her career, but she confirmed she will not run for office in this election cycle. She added that she plans to stay in public safety and left the door open to return for a new political position in the future.

“If the voters will have me, I’d like to be in elected office again. I think that with everything I’ve been through, I have learned so much about how to be an elected official and make it sustainable,” she said.

The two-term county judge has had a rough couple of years marred by heated exchanges with fellow Democrats over the budget, a censure by the Commissioners Court following a chaotic meeting, and public fights with Mayor John Whitmire. 

She also saw the country through the COVD pandemic and several devastating weather events, including Hurricane Beryl and the derecho.