Updated May 25 at 9:30 a.m.
With all precincts reporting in Harris County, unofficial results show Ed Gonzalez has won the runoff election in the Democrat primary for Harris County sheriff with 56.59 percent of the votes, or 16,049 total votes. Jerome Moore is trailing with 12,311 total votes, or 43.41 percent.
The winner of the race will face off against Republican incumbent Ron Hickman in the general election this November.
"I'm honored to be the Democratic nominee for Harris County sheriff," Gonzalez said in a published statement. "We still have a lot of work to do between now and the general election, but I'll work as hard as I can to win in November, bring transparency and reform to the Harris County Sheriff's office and make our communities safer."
Gonzalez said if he is elected, his goals include lowering the backlog of unsolved crimes, reducing jail populations by addressing recidivism and addressing jail conditions in general through better oversight and management. He has also said he aims to address issues such as the mental health crisis and human trafficking through a collaborative approach that involves forming relationships with regional entities.
Gonzalez served for the Houston Police Department for 18 years and recently completed three terms on the Houston City Council. Moore serves with the Precinct 5 constable’s office.
All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Posted May 24 at 7:15 p.m.
With early voting results tallied, Ed Gonzalez is leading the runoff election in the Democrat primary for Harris County sheriff with 55.41 percent of the votes, or 11,400 total votes. Jerome Moore is trailing with 9,174 total votes, or 44.59 percent.
The winner of the race will face off against Republican incumbent Ron Hickman in the general election this November.
On primary election day March 1, Gonzalez led all candidates with 43.5 percent of the votes compared to 29.79 percent for Moore. Democrats Jeff Stauber and Theodore “Ted” Perez earned 12.33 percent and 14.38 percent, respectively.
Hickman won the Republican primary with 71.88 percent of the votes.
Gonzalez said if he is elected, his goals include increasing public safety, lowering the backlog of unsolved crimes, reducing jail populations by addressing recidivism and addressing jail conditions in general through better oversight and management.
Moore said his focus if elected would be on strengthening the relationship between law enforcement and the communities it serves, monitoring jail conditions, increasing patrols to boost response times and building relationships between different law enforcement agencies.
Hickman was appointed sheriff in May by Harris County Commissioners Court after former Sheriff Adrian Garcia resigned to run for mayor of Houston. Prior to his role as sheriff, Hickman served as constable of Harris County Precinct 4.
Gonzalez served for the Houston Police Department for 18 years and recently completed three terms on the Houston City Council. Moore serves with the Precinct 5 constable’s office.
The HSCO, which oversees all eight Harris County precincts, is the largest sheriff’s office in Texas and the third largest in the United States.
All results are unofficial until canvassed.
