Howell wins endorsements ahead of Harris County judge runoff

Warren Howell is using a new wave of endorsements to tell Harris County Republicans what they want most from the next county judge: tighter control of county government, more transparency and a tougher line on public safety. The support comes as early voting opened May 18 and the runoff between Howell and Orlando Sanchez moves toward the May 26 Republican nomination battle.

Howell finished second in the six-candidate primary March 3 with 20.8% of the vote, trailing Sanchez’s 26.5% and edging Marty Lancton by just 381 votes. That narrow finish turned the runoff into a test of Howell’s coalition, with endorsements now serving as an early signal of whether party activists want a law-and-order message, a tax-and-spending argument, or a broader appeal built around competence and trust.

The seat is open because Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced in September 2025 that she would not seek reelection to a third term. Her current term runs through Dec. 31, 2026, and the job carries outsized influence in Texas’ largest county, where the judge helps oversee the budget, emergency management, roads, infrastructure, flooding, public safety and social services.

Howell’s campaign says he is a lifelong Harris County resident, an Air Force veteran and the president of the Shadow Oaks Civic Association in Spring Branch, where he has lived for more than 40 years. His campaign website casts him as a conservative focused on fiscal responsibility, public safety, infrastructure, accountability and restoring order and professionalism to Commissioners Court.

Branch Vote says Howell backs a long-term infrastructure plan centered on flood mitigation and the repair of county roads and bridges. The group also says he is critical of rapid growth in data centers and cryptocurrency mining because of concerns about electrical grid reliability, a position that could resonate in a county where flooding, traffic and infrastructure failures are part of daily political debate.

The Republican runoff is unfolding alongside a Democratic runoff between Annise Parker and Letitia Plummer. With the county judge seat held by Democrats since the 2018 election, Howell’s endorsements are doing more than helping him through May 26. They are showing what kind of county leadership Harris County Republicans want to offer if they hope to win the office back in November.