Although they cannot file their candidacies for another five months, three contenders have announced campaigns to challenge incumbent Lina Hidalgo in the 2026 Harris County Judge race.
Hidalgo, a Colombian immigrant, has gained national prominence as a progressive leader. However, she has also faced scrutiny over her job performance, recently due to her use of taxpayer funds and opposition to increased pay for law enforcement.
Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, Piney Point Mayor Aliza Dutt, and businessman Warren Howell are now actively seeking the seat.
Parker, a Democrat who served as Houston’s mayor from 2010 to 2016, is nationally recognized as the first openly gay mayor of a major U.S. city.
During Parker’s tenure, the city introduced Proposition 1, known as the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, commonly referred to as “the bathroom bill.”
The ordinance aimed to include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, particularly influencing how city contracts were awarded.
However, voters rejected the measure in 2015.
As former CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, Parker is a fierce advocate for progressive policies, prioritizing the LGBT agenda and social services.
Earlier this year, in her role as CEO, Parker stated about the Trump administration, “We issued the warnings, we rang the bells.”
She added that she would fight back, but “we are facing an executive order funding cut. Our essential work—in particular, our global programming—is being targeted for promoting ‘transgenderism’ and ‘woke gender ideology.’”
Parker and Hidalgo, who told the Houston Chronicle she will be running to keep her seat, will face off in the March 2026 Democrat Primary Election.
Aliza Dutt, an immigrant from Hong Kong, has a background in journalism and energy analysis. Her work has been published in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. A Republican, she was elected mayor of Piney Point Village in 2024.
“I am taking a look very specifically at what we need to spend on and what we don’t. Should the county really be involved with social programs that don’t make the lives of Harris County families better? The answer is no.” Dutt told Fox 26 Houston.
Dutt’s campaign emphasizes fiscal responsibility, public safety, and transparency, with a focus on supporting law enforcement and protecting taxpayers.
Warren Howell, a businessman and former 2022 GOP primary candidate, is running on a platform that emphasizes balanced budgets, increased funding for the sheriff’s department, and addressing homelessness.
Howell’s campaign promotes fiscal discipline and public safety.
“Look at all these people here, I’m so honored, they all want the same thing I want: common sense government. They want to remove the property tax burden from our senior citizens and our veterans,” Howell said at a campaign event.
The contest so far features Dutt and Howell, who emphasize fiscal discipline and support for law enforcement, while Parker offers a progressive alternative with a focus on social programs and DEI policies.
However, Republican candidate Oscar Gonzales, who has a law enforcement background, will host a campaign launch event on June 12.
Candidates Dutt, Howell, and Gonzales will compete for the GOP nomination in the March 2026 Republican primaries.
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