Parker, Plummer advance to Harris County judge runoff

The race for Harris County judge has narrowed to Annise Parker and Letitia Plummer, and the winner will take charge of the county’s top elected office at a moment when budgets, flooding and emergency response still shape daily life across Houston, Greenspoint, Highway 6 and beyond.

Parker, the former Houston mayor, led the March Democratic primary with 48.55% of the vote. Plummer, a former Houston council member, finished second with 37.47%, while Matt Salazar took 13.97%, forcing a runoff because no candidate cleared a majority. Early voting for the runoff runs May 18 through May 22, and Election Day is May 26.

The office at stake is far more than ceremonial. The Harris County judge presides over Commissioners Court and, with the four county commissioners, oversees a $4.3 billion budget. The job includes adopting the budget, setting tax rates, calling bond elections and overseeing county infrastructure and facilities, from roads and bridges to courthouses, jails, libraries, parks and the Harris County Flood Control District. By state law, the county judge also serves as the county’s director of emergency management.

That makes the choice between Parker and Plummer a practical one for voters trying to decide who can manage the county’s biggest pressures. Parker is leaning on a long record inside Houston government, including service as mayor, controller and council member, along with experience handling multibillion-dollar budgets and major storm response. Plummer is asking voters to back a different Democratic voice for the county’s largest executive post at a time when Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is not seeking reelection.

The runoff enters its final stretch with Parker holding an edge in a University of Houston Hobby School survey released May 14. The poll found Parker ahead of Plummer 54% to 36% among likely Democratic runoff voters, with 10% undecided. The same survey said voters’ biggest concerns were economic inequality, ethnic and racial inequality, flooding and rising property taxes.

Money also helped shape the race. Campaign finance reports filed in January showed the county judge field raised just over $1 million overall, and Parker reported more than $416,000 in contributions.

Harris County election officials say voters can check their sample ballot through the Harris County Clerk’s Office and cast a ballot at any Harris County vote center on Election Day. The deadline to apply for a mail ballot is May 15. In a county of more than 4.5 million people spread across 1,778 square miles, the runoff will decide who steers Houston’s most powerful local government through its next budget fights, storm seasons and infrastructure decisions.