Harris County names Abbie Kamin as first woman county attorney

Harris County has chosen a new chief civil lawyer for the county’s biggest legal battles, from voting rights and pollution cases to consumer fraud complaints, price gouging disputes and county liability claims. Commissioners Court approved Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin on April 16 in a 3-2 vote to lead the Harris County Attorney’s Office, a sprawling department that serves more than 5 million residents with more than 140 attorneys and over 300 employees.

Kamin is set to begin serving in an interim capacity on June 15, taking charge of an office that represents Harris County and its officials in civil matters. She will be the first woman to hold the county attorney post, and county officials also described her as the first mother to serve in the role.

The appointment comes after a fast turnover at the top of the office. Christian Menefee left the post to run for Congress, and Jonathan Fombonne was named interim county attorney on January 8 to fill the unexpired term. Commissioners Lina Hidalgo and Tom Ramsey voted against Kamin’s appointment.

Commissioner Lesley Briones sponsored the motion and framed Kamin’s selection as a moment with both symbolic weight and practical impact. Briones said Kamin would “relentlessly advance justice” as she steps into a job that can shape how Harris County responds when residents, businesses and public agencies end up in court.

That legal reach matters in a county as large and complex as Harris County, Texas’ largest county and the third-largest county in the United States. The county attorney’s office acts as the legal backbone for county government, handling civil litigation and advising officials on day-to-day decisions that can spill into disputes over contracts, elections, labor issues and public spending.

Kamin brings a citywide political profile to the county post. A native Houstonian, she has represented Houston City Council District C since January 2, 2020, where she spoke for nearly 250,000 residents across one of the city’s most active and diverse areas. During her time on council, she helped drive the city’s first paid parental leave policy and a prenatal wellness policy, issues that connected city government to family life and workplace standards.

Her move from City Hall to the county attorney’s office gives Harris County a new leader at a moment when local government is under pressure on multiple fronts, including election fights, public health concerns and legal exposure tied to county operations. Kamin inherits an office that can influence how those disputes are fought, settled and defended for years to come.