As of Wednesday morning, 545 of 545 voting centers had reported election day results in Harris County.
What happened
Incumbent Sheriff Ed Gonzalez swept the Democratic primary race with more than 107,650 votes, leaving each of his three challengers with less than 17% of votes.
- Ed Gonzalez: 107,655 votes, or 66.99% of the total
- Joe Inocencio: 7,268 votes, or 4.52% of the total
- Vergil Rochelle Ratliff: 19,581 votes, or 12.18% of the total
- Dana M. Wolfe: 26,197 or 16.3% of the total
- Glenn Cowan: 28,639 votes, or 16.93% of the total
- Joe Danna: 29,134 votes, or 17.22% of the total
- Paul Day: 16,017 votes, or 9.47% of the total
- Mike Knox: 95,406 votes, or 56.39% of the total
For county races facing a primary runoff election, early voting begins May 20, according to the Texas Secretary of State website.
The 2024 general election will take place Nov.5, where registered voters across the country will elect the next president and vice president of the United States.
Voters will also look to fill seats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to determine who will be the next members of the 119th U.S. Congress.
Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide/election-results to see results from all local elections in your community. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Updated 8:20 a.m. March 6
With 535 of 545 voting centers reporting, incumbent Sheriff Ed Gonzalez will face former Houston City Council member Mike Knox in the November race for Harris County sheriff.
The results
Gonzalez won the Democratic nomination for Harris County sheriff, accumulating 70.15% of the votes, or 69,892 votes according to Harris County's elections department, ousting three primary challengers. Gonzalez was first elected as Harris County sheriff in 2016 and was re-elected to a second term in 2020, according to the sheriff office's website.
“I am humbled and very grateful for the overwhelming support as I seek a third term as Harris County Sheriff. Our team works hard every day to keep our community safe and these results confirm we’ve earned voters’ trust," he said.
Gonzalez previously told Community Impact that his top priorities, if elected, would include keep Harris County safe, among other priorities.
"Requiring body cameras for all jail detention officers. Improving how we interact with and help those with mental health challenges. Proactively preparing and responding to disasters, including training more deputies in swift water rescues. Continuing to address reckless driving," he said regarding his priorities in an emailed questionnaire.
On the Republican side, Knox won 56.42% of votes, or 94,946 votes, according to the county's election department, also beating three primary challengers.
Knox, a retired Texas peace officer, previously told Community Impact that his top priority, if elected, would be to make the Harris County Jail safe for inmates and employees, and to regain state-certified status. Harris County Jail has been deemed noncompliant with the state's safety standards since September 2022, according to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
The state's jail commission detailed the latest violations in a Feb. 20 memo, which included failing to provide medication from a physician to inmates, confining mentally ill inmates for longer than the 30-minute standard and lacking the proper amount of staff for inmate supervision.
"Overworked and understaffed jailers and deputies creates many internal moral issues which causes unusually high turnover. We will get relief from Commissioners Court during my administration," Knox said in his emailed questionnaire.
The county's sheriff's office manages the Harris County Jail and is the primary public safety agency for the county. It's also the largest sheriff's office in Texas.
Learn more
Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide/election-results to see results from all local elections in your community. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Updated 10:40 p.m. March 5
With 46 of 545 election day voting centers reporting in Harris County. Community Impact will update this article on March 6 after more election day vote totals are released.
All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Updated 9:57 p.m. March 5
With 12 of 545 voting centers reporting in Harris County, 96,076 votes were counted for the Republican sheriff candidates.
- Mike Knox, a former Houston City Council member, leads with nearly 61% of the votes, or 58,414.
- Incumbent Ed Gonzalez leads at over 70% of the votes, or 67,105.
Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide/election-results to see results from all local elections in your community.
Posted March 5 at 7:28 p.m.
According to the Harris County Clerk's Office, more than 141,000 total votes were cast in person on March 5.
Election Day Check-In : As of March 5, 6:00 PM, #HarrisCounty has recorded 141K+ total votes cast in-person on Election Day for the March 5, 2024 - Joint Primary Elections.#harriscountyclerksoffice #harrisvotes pic.twitter.com/IHXAQmYcZX
— Harris County Elections Department (@HarrisVotes) March 6, 2024
Early voting results show incumbent Ed Gonzalez taking an early lead in the Democratic primary race for Harris County Sheriff.
Early voting results show Mike Knox taking an early lead in the Republican primary race for Harris County Sheriff.
The results
According to unofficial results published by the Harris County Clerk's Office at 7:28 p.m. March 5, early voting results for the Democratic Party are as follows:
- Ed Gonzalez: 66,425 votes, or 70% of the total
- Joe Inocencio: 3,832 votes, or 4% of the total
- Vergil Rochelle Ratliff: 11,014 votes, or 11.6% of the total
- Dana M. Wolfe: 13,208 votes, or 13.98 % of the total
According to unofficial results published by the Harris County Clerk's Office at 7:28 p.m. March 5, early voting results for the Republican Party are as follows:
- Glenn Cowan: 15,379 votes, or 16.14% of the total
- Joe Danna: 14,547 votes, or 15.26% of the total
- Paul Day: 7,320 votes, or 7.68% of the total
- Mike Knox: 58,062 votes, or 60% of the total
The context
Gonzalez was elected as Harris County sheriff in 2016 and was re-elected to a second term in 2020, according to the sheriff office's website. The Harris County Sheriff's Office is the largest sheriff's office in Texas and the third largest in the nation with more than 5,000 employees.
Learn more
Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide/election-results to see results from all local elections in your community. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
