Harris County commissioners appoint Sonia Lopez to vacant civil court bench

Sonia Lopez was appointed by Harris County commissioners Dec. 11 to serve as one of the county's civil court judges to fill a vacancy as the presiding judge runs in the Democratic primary election for Harris County attorney.

Quote of note

Lopez will serve the judicial seat for Harris County's Civil Court at Law, No. 1. Standing beside her family, Lopez told court members that she will work hard to earn the trust of Harris County residents.

“I have to thank my parents who taught me the value of hard work,” Lopez said. “They came to this country to live the American dream, and I think they have accomplished that.”

Lopez's career in public service started more than 20 years ago, she said, as a volunteer for the National Hispanic Institute, which led to her first internship in Harris County.

"Today, I come full circle from being the very first intern for then-Commissioner Sylvia Garcia to becoming a judge for Harris County," Lopez said.

The setup

The appointment comes as presiding Civil Court Judge Audrie Lawton Evans formally entered the 2026 primary election by Texas’ Dec. 8 candidacy filing deadline. Six total races are being contested by both Democratic and Republican candidates across the March primary elections, including the Harris County attorney position. The county attorney position opened after Christian Menefee formally resigned from his position March 17, with the announcement of his campaign to run for the U.S. Congress District 18 position.

Evans is running in the Democratic primary alongside Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin, who announced her election campaign on social media Dec. 5.

Explained

Judges within any of the five Harris County civil courthouses see cases regarding civil matters such as eviction appeals, property disputes, personal injury suits, contract cases and small business claims, according to the court’s website.