The Harris County Republican party has called for the appointment of Jacqueline Lucci Smith to fill the county attorney office vacated by Christian Menefee.
“With Menefee now abandoning his office just three months into the term, it is the duty of Commissioners Court to respect the will of the more than 700,000 Harris County voters who cast their vote for Lucci Smith by appointing her to the position rather than arbitrarily selecting an appointee of their choosing who has not been vetted by voters,” read a statement by the Harris County GOP.
Menefee, who narrowly defeated Lucci Smith last November, recently resigned his position to run for Congress, seeking the seat left vacant after the death of Sylvester Turner. He will face off against former Houston City Councilmember Amanda Edwards, who is also running to fill the seat.
The Texas Constitution mandates the automatic resignation of certain public officials, including county attorneys, when they become candidates for a different office. The commissioners court must now appoint someone to fill the role until an election is held.
The county attorney serves as the chief civil lawyer for Harris County, representing the government, its 60 elected officials, and over 18,000 employees in civil matters.
Lucci Smith previously worked as legislative counsel and held roles as a civil court judge and assistant county attorney.
Republican Precinct Chair and President of the Cherry Tree Republican Club Jeff MacGeorge told Texas Scorecard, “Jacqueline Lucci Smith would bring an intense knowledge of the law to the Harris County Attorney’s Office, just missing the election in November 2024 by only 17,017 votes.”
“We need good judicial governance in our Harris County Attorney’s Office,” MacGeorge continued. “She was endorsed by HCRP in 2024; I believe Jacqueline is that person. I believed that in 2024, and I still believe that.”
