IN THIS EPISODE:
Khambrel Marshall sits down with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who is running for reelection. Fighting to keep her seat, it’s apparently ‘deja vu’ when another political newcomer, Alexandra Del Moral Mealer, hopes to unseat her.
After the taping of this program, a new poll released by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston shows a 2% point lead by the political newcomer.
Political déjà vu?
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo was in this position four years ago running as a political newcomer for Harris County Judge. Thanks to the angst of straight-ticket voters who were angry about former President Trump and Senator Ted Cruz, she pulled off the upset and beat incumbent Judge Ed Emmett.
Now, after four years in office, she says there are many accomplishments for which she is proud.
“No longer is flood control policy set by the developers,” she said. “No longer are we outsourcing pollution control to industry. No longer are we determining our criminal justice policy based on what the NRA wants to do. It’s based on what the victims and what the community needs.” The déjà vu part is political newcomer Alexandra del Moral Mealer running to try to unseat Hidalgo.
Mealer makes the contest closer than expected.
An aggressive GOP effort to take back the Harris County Judge seat has led to millions being spent on TV ads and other efforts targeting what are perceived Hidalgo weaknesses.
”It is very nasty,” Hidalgo said. “There doesn’t seem to be a commitment to truth and the way they come after me is unfortunate. I frankly did not think we’d see the level of extremism here in Harris County that we are seeing.” Hidalgo says she is aware that the state GOP apparatus is also fully engaged in trying to win back the County Judge seat and says the reason is clear.
“I’m getting things done,” she said. I’m a Hispanic woman in a state that they know is a key population. I’m a person that represents everyone in the community, whether they voted for me or not. We’ve been effective so they don’t want me to continue the work and show what effective Democratic leadership can look like in the state.”
Also discussed on this program: Why she says Alexandra Mealer is wrong for Harris County, how politics is behind two GOP commissioners boycotting Harris County Commissioners Court meetings to discuss a new budget, what she says are her biggest accomplishments and what she’d do over again if she could.
Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall every Sunday at 10 a.m. right after Meet the Press.
· Judge Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Judge