Lina Hidalgo Wins a Tight Race Against Alexandra Del Moral Mealer at Harris County Judge Race

incumbent Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo barely beat her Republican opponent, Alexandra del Moral Mealer, in a race that had been close for months.

On Wednesday morning, Mealer conceded on Twitter after Harris County Elections reported the results from all 782 voting locations. Hidalgo won by a margin of 15,957 votes, 50.74% to 49.25%, per Houston Public Media.

Hidalgo issued a direct challenge to her opponents in both parties during an afternoon press conference.

"To the naysayers, to the naysayers who think I'll be intimidated by conspiracy theories or by bullying or by political prosecutions - bring it on!"

Hidalgo was referring to Democratic District Attorney Kim Ogg and the prior arrests of some of Hidalgo's closest advisors.

Hidalgo also said that Ogg was wrong to say that the money for the district attorney's office had been cut.

Hidalgo also said that some Democrats would not make ads or raise money for her in the general election, and she would not forget who they were.

Lina Hidalgo Started in Politics in 2018

Hidalgo, 31, a Colombian immigrant, made headlines in 2018 as a young first-time candidate, defeating legendary Republican County Judge Ed Emmett by a similar small margin.

It was part of a massive blue wave that rolled into Harris County, the state's largest county. Democrats won every countywide post for the first time, according to Texas Observer.

She soon rose to prominence in Texas politics, positioning herself as an opponent of the Houston "good-ole-boy" elite.

Hidalgo took the county through a succession of significant calamities during her first term, including storms, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the electrical grid's breakdown in the winter of 2021.

She became a main target for statewide Republicans such as Attorney General Ken Paxton, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Governor Greg Abbott since she was the most well-known local Democrat.

They exploited her as a scapegoat to undermine local sovereignty over everything from voting rights and epidemic limitations to law enforcement spending and property taxation.

Harris County Chooses Lina Hidalgo Over Alexandra del Moral Mealer

Harris County judge race went favorable for Hidalgo, winning by a margin of two percent, under 16,000 votes, Texas Tribune reported.

Meanwhile, Democrat Beto O'Rourke beat Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in the county by more than nine percentage points.

Even though Republican donors gave Alexandra del Moral Mealer 's campaign nearly $9 million since July, which is a lot of money for Harris County Judge race, the GOP failed to win back a seat it lost four years ago.

Democrats received more votes in the Harris County Commissioners Court, which consists of five members and is presided over by the county judge.

Republican Jack Morman, who had held the seat before Democrat Adrian Garcia took it four years ago, was defeated in Precinct 2 by Democrat Adrian Garcia.

Democratic civil court judge Lesley Briones defeated Republican incumbent Jack Cagle in Precinct 4, a seat whose borders were altered to favor Democrats last year.

Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, a well-known Houston business magnate, made a six-figure donation to Mealer.

Richard Weekley and Alan Hassenflu, Houston real estate businessmen and co-founders of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, also gave Mealer a six-figure donation.

Jeffery Hildebrand, a Houston millionaire, and the hard-right Defend Texas Liberty PAC, whose donors include West Texas oil magnates Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, also provided financial support in Mealer's candidacy.

During the same time, Hidalgo raised about $2.4 million.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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