Harris County and the elected officials provide services to about 5 million people.

Harris County is the 3rd largest county in the United States covering nearly 2 million square miles running from the Kingwood area to the Clear Lake area, from Katy to Baytown. Needless to say it’s a big area. The County is divided into 4 precincts represented by Commissioners Rodney Ellis (1), Adrian Garcia (2) Tom Ramsey (3), and Leslie Briones (4). The Bay Area is within Precinct 2. There are 27 elected officials, not including Judicial positions. Of those 27 there are 1 Judge (not a judicial judge) 4 Commissioners, 7 Trustees for the Harris County Department of Education, and 8 Constables. All these are elected positions.

Important positions include:

• County Judge Lina Hidalgo acts as the chief executive officer for the county, presiding over the Commissioners Court to manage the county budget, tax rates, and infrastructure.
• County Attorney Abbie Kamin is the chief legal officer for a county, responsible for representing the state in misdemeanor criminal cases, prosecuting juvenile offenders, and acting as the legal advisor to county and precinct officials.
• District Attorney Sean Teare is an elected prosecutor representing the state in criminal cases, responsible for reviewing police investigations, filing felony and misdemeanor charges, and prosecuting cases at trial.
• District Clerk Marilyn Burgess is an elected official who acts as the custodian of records for district courts, managing court documents (civil, criminal, family), processing lawsuits, collecting fines/fees, and managing jury selection. 
• County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth serves as the principal record-keeper, election official, and clerk to the county governing board, managing public records like deeds and marriage licenses, administering elections, and handling official licensing.
• Tax Assessor Collector Annette Ramirez is an elected official responsible for assessing property values, calculating, and collecting property taxes for local governments, schools, and counties.
• Treasurer Carla L. Wyatt as the chief custodian of county finances, responsible for receiving, depositing, and safeguarding all county funds
• Sheriff Ed Gonzalez is an elected official acting as the chief law enforcement officer for their county, responsible for operating the county jail, providing security for courts, and serving legal papers.

• County Commissioners act as the executive and legislative branch of county government, managing county property, finances, and services. They adopt the annual budget, set property tax rates, approve contracts, and maintain county infrastructure like roads, bridges, and jails.
• County Constables is an elected, licensed peace officer who serves as the chief process server for justice courts and performs law enforcement duties. They execute warrants, civil papers (subpoenas, evictions), act as bailiffs for Justice of the Peace courts, and conduct patrols or criminal investigations.
• Department of Education Trustee is an elected official who sets policies, approves budgets, and provides oversight for the department to support local school districts with educational services. They govern initiatives like Head Start, special schools, and adult education, acting as public stewards for Harris County schools.

These are important positions. So come November go vote.

As I have said in the past, running for office isn’t a damn game especially in Harris County.

Ask the citizens of Hays County. Back in 2020 Avery Anderson won the election for District Clerk. He beat a 3 term incumbent with 32 years of experience in the office. Avery had absolutely no experience besides flipping burgers at a local burger joint. Avery had just graduated….from high school. He was 19 at the time. He raised no money, as in zero dollars. He had no website. He had no social media presence. Voters in Hays County, a county that Democrats worked hard to turn blue, voted for the 19 year old, inexperienced, high school graduate.

Avery resigned 2 years later citing the job of District Clerk was more than he expected. (DUH!) Others in the office resigned with decades of experience. Elected officials called for his resignation since he was unable to do the job. A judge deemed him incompetent to hold the office. It was a disaster.

Here in Harris County we have a similar situation. Alex Maldonado, a 23 year old college student has little if any applicable experience for the office of District Clerk. He is in a runoff with Darell Jordan in the Democratic primary. Jordan has a very impressive resume with experience in the Military, as an attorney, legal counsel for the Texas Legislature, and as a Judge. He has enough experience to give the supporters of Maldonado something to throw rocks at. You can’t throw rocks at Maldonado’s experience because he has none. Why any organization (AFL-CIO, Texan Democrats) would endorse an unqualified candidate over an excellent, experienced Democrat is troubling.

I’m all for young people getting involved in politics but for f*** sakes, come with some applicable experience. Democrats have had other young people run for office with disastrous results. Mike Floyd ran for Pearland ISD Trustee and won. He was still in high school. He was the talk of the town being featured on MSNBC and other news networks. He also resigned after 2 years. Lina Hidalgo was 29 years old with no experience when she took control of the 3rd largest county in the United States. Her time in office needs no further discussion. And recently Democrats elected a young, inexperienced, candidate, who has no Democratic voting record, to lead the Harris County Democratic Party.

The Democrats should do well in Harris County since the republicans have become as popular as herpes at a hot tub party but for f*** sakes we have a candidate who is young with excellent, applicable, experience on the ballot. Electing a young inexperienced, unqualified candidate as the nominee of the Democratic Party would give the Republican Party yet another target along side of Lina Hidalgo. According to the Houston Chronicle the office needs help and proven leadership.

Another lawyer we spoke with described the clerk’s office as a “disaster” with an added expletive thrown in. Nobody we spoke with blames the front-line clerks. They are underpaid and can’t on their own clear the blockages between various fiefdoms run by the district attorney, sheriff and judges.

Running for office is not a g**damn game.