Two candidates remain in search for Harris County elections administrator

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced that two candidates are under consideration for the elections administrator position during the June 15 meeting of the Harris County Election Commission.

Both candidates are from out of state, so neither would be able to start until Aug. 1, according to Hidalgo. By law, Chief Director of Voting Beth Stevens will serve as interim elections administrator once current Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria exits on July 1.

“We’re grateful that [Stevens] is willing to step up and take on this interim role,” Hidalgo said.

Commission rules dictate the body must deliberate over the candidates for two consecutive meetings before appointing a new administrator. Hidalgo said June 15 that the commission is aiming to meet for the second time the following week and could announce the final selection at the conclusion of that meeting.

According to Hidalgo, each finalist has extensive election experience: one has worked each election since 2000, and the other has worked over 100 elections. The commission did not provide names of the candidates.

The 2022 job posting for the administrator role added a new qualification that was not included in the 2020 job posting, requiring that candidates have “a minimum of six years of experience related to or knowledge of elections and voter registration laws, procedures, practices, documentation and equipment.”