Updated 8:45 a.m.
With all 275 Harris County voting precincts reporting, two Democrats and two Republicans are headed to the May runoff elections for county judge, as none of the candidates received at least 50% of the vote, according to unofficial results.
By the numbers
Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker will face former Houston City Council member Letitia Plummer in the May 26 Democratic primary runoff. Parker led the March 3 race with 155,688 votes, or 46.62%, the results show. Plummer closed out at 37.29% with 124,514 votes cast in her support. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
With twice as many candidates, the Harris County judge Republican primary finished with closer margins and 179,155 total votes cast in the race. Former Houston City Council member Orlando Sanchez and business owner Warren A. Howell will advance to the runoff, per the results.
Republican candidate Richard Vega also successfully secured the nomination in the Precinct 2 commissioner primary with 59.91% of votes. Having beaten challenger Raquel Hernandez Boujourne, Vega will compete against Precinct 2 incumbent Commissioner Adrian Garcia in November for a seat on the Harris County Commissioners Court.
What they're saying
Vega told Community Impact he's grateful for the support of his campaign team and all voters who engaged their civic duty by participating in the March 3 primaries. He said he will continue to get to know new faces in the Harris County Precinct 2 community to share his priorities ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
"Our campaign priorities stay the same," he said. "Public safety, infrastructure, transparency and accountability is always on top. We understand that the incumbent has great ties to the community ... and we feel strong in our campaign."
Updated 6:49 a.m.
Both the Democratic and Republican primary races for Harris County judge appear to be headed to a May 26 runoff, with no candidate earning a majority of the vote, unofficial results show. Harris County released the update at 3:28 a.m. with 240 out of 275 voting precincts reporting for the Democratic primary and 265 out 270 reporting for the Republican primary.
The updated results also show candidate Richard Vega has won the Republican nomination in the Precinct 2 commissioner primary with almost 60% of the vote, meaning he will face Democratic incumbent Adrian Garcia in the November election.
All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Posted 7:56 p.m.
With Harris County polls officially closed, unofficial early voting results show former Houston Mayor Annise Parker ahead in the Democratic primary for Harris County judge. As for the Republican primary, early results indicate the candidates may be headed to a runoff election in May.
Additionally, candidate Richard Vega holds the lead in the Republican primary for Harris County Precinct 2 commissioner. If he maintains the majority, Vega will face Democratic incumbent Adrian Garcia in the Nov. 3 general election.
The results are in
Six Republicans and three Democrats competed March 3 to earn their respective party’s nomination in the 2026 race for Harris County judge. Two candidates are also competing for the Republican nod in the race for Harris County Precinct 2 commissioner.
Some context
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced in September she would not seek reelection for a third term in office, Community Impact previously reported. She was first elected in 2018 after defeating then-incumbent Republican Ed Emmett, and her current four-year term ends Dec. 31.
As judge of the most populous county in Texas, Hidalgo’s replacement will become the presiding officer and a voting member of the Harris County Commissioners Court—a governing body tasked with adopting a budget, setting the tax rate, maintaining infrastructure and implementing a variety of county policies.
By state law, the county judge also serves as the director of the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management.
More details
Garcia ran unopposed in the March 3 Democratic primary for Precinct 2 commissioner. First elected in 2018, Garcia represents the southeast region of Harris County and the Aldine area. His current four-year term ends Dec. 31.
Garcia will face the Republican primary victor in the Nov. 3 general election.
What else?
More than 346,000 Harris County voters cast their ballot early between Feb. 17-27, surpassing early voter turnout during the 2024 March primaries, Community Impact previously reported.
Polling locations statewide saw a bump in early voter participation compared to data from recent primary elections, with particularly pronounced turnout from Democratic voters.
Stay tuned
Community Impact will update this article as more election day vote totals are released. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide to see results from all contested local and state elections in your community.
