Harris County judge races head to runoffs, Vega wins Precinct 2 GOP nod

Neither the Democratic nor Republican primary for Harris County judge produced a majority, sending both party contests to runoffs after unofficial tallies from the March 3 primary. Annise Parker finished first in the Democratic field with 155,751 votes, 47 percent of the vote, and Letitia Plummer placed second with 124,577 votes, 37 percent, while Matt Salazar took 16 percent.

On the Republican side, Orlando Sanchez and Warren Howell appeared headed to a GOP runoff for Harris County judge after six Republicans filed for the contest. Sanchez, who served as an at-large Houston City Council member from 1996 to 2000 and later as Harris County Treasurer, reported raising $113,000 in the latest campaign finance period. Howell, described on his campaign website as an Air Force veteran, Spring Branch civic association leader and insurance professional, was the other runoff finisher. Marty Lancton, an Abbott endorsee who raised more than $500,000 in his bid, narrowly missed making the GOP runoff.

Community tallies also showed Richard Vega won the Republican nomination for Harris County Precinct 2 commissioner in a two-candidate GOP primary, though vote totals for that contest were not included in the compiled unofficial figures. The Precinct 2 result is separate from the county judge field, which attracted six Republican and three Democratic filings.

The Harris County Republican Party chair race likewise failed to produce an outright winner under Texas primary rules that require more than half the vote. With 170,172 total votes cast, incumbent Cindy Siegel received 84,458 votes and challenger Don Hooper received 56,251 votes. The majority threshold with those totals was 85,087 votes, leaving Siegel 629 votes short and forcing a runoff.

The open judge seat drew crowded primaries after Lina Hidalgo decided not to seek reelection. The county judge position has been held by Democrats since the 2018 election, and Republican backers signaled aggressive efforts to flip the office: Gov. Greg Abbott pledged to wield “his more than $100 million campaign war chest in an effort to ‘win Harris County and make Harris County dark red.’”

Officials characterized the posted returns as “complete but unofficial results released Wednesday morning by the Harris County Clerk’s Office.” With no candidate topping 50 percent in the judge primaries, the nominations will be decided in runoff elections, and campaigns have the weeks ahead to close gaps before voters return to the polls.