Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s strange display in Commissioners Court last week may have severe implications on her future as an elected representative. The bigger picture, Democratic Party leaders say, is that residents have now missed out on an opportunity to fund services slashed by the state and federal government...
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo pleaded with commissioners last week to support putting a one-cent tax increase on the November ballot for early childhood programs.Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo ’s strange display in Commissioners Court last week may have severe implications on her future as an elected representative.
The bigger picture, Democratic Party leaders say, is that residents have now missed out on an opportunity to fund services slashed by the state and federal government., Hidalgo asked colleagues to join her in putting a one-cent tax increase on the November ballot for an early childhood education program funded by American Rescue Plan Act dollars that expire next year. Hidalgo appeared frantic as she encouraged a crowd of children to help her count to three — the number of votes she needed to get the item on the ballot — and frequently interrupted other elected officials who tried to explain their rationale for balking at a tax hike that they said was proposed two weeks prior with little supporting data. Hidalgo held up signs referencing the childcare program and prodded the children in attendance to ask commissioners how they would vote. A representative from the county attorney's office had to ask her to let commissioners finish speaking, but she refused. “This half-baked proposal does not have robust stakeholder engagement,” said Commissioner Lesley Briones as Hidalgo repeatedly interrupted her. “It does not have a detailed program, it does not have a detailed budget.” The proposal failed and Hidalgo’s so-called “meltdown” prompted three of four county commissioners to vote for her censure, a formal recognition of disapproval that won’t impact her ability to continue serving. Those who voted to admonish — Commissioners Tom Ramsey, Adrian Garcia, and Briones — said Hidalgo failed to conduct herself within the court’s decorum standards and in the presence of children during the meeting. “It’s beyond frustrating to yet again witness Judge Hidalgo’s disruptive behavior at Commissioners Court,” Garcia wrote on social media. “We must hold ourselves to the highest standards. It was particularly offensive to witness her trying to use children as props for her political agenda.” Ramsey, the lone Republican on the court, called for the censure and referenced a meeting in June in which Hidalgo used profanity in front of children. He said he was looking into having the judge removed from her seat. “We need to get better leadership,” he told a Houston radio station. “We don’t have time for this.” I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it: this is not the first and - I predict - won’t be the last unprofessional moment from our County Judge. Her outbursts continue to escalate to the detriment of the County’s business. Today’s actions and words by the Judge to those in…Commissioner Rodney Ellis voted against the censure and said after the meeting he was concerned about balancing the budget, something made more difficult now that a tax increase is no longer an option. The county committed earlier this year to increasing pay for sheriff’s and constable’s deputies to the tune of $140 million. Now they’re facing a $200 million deficit and can’t increase the tax rate because they missed a deadline to advertise in the newspaper of record. Commissioners will discuss the budget at a special meeting this Thursday, August 14. Amendments are due September 9, and adoption of the budget and tax rate is set for September 18.“I’ve been a longtime supporter of Judge Hidalgo and I was disappointed in that display and the lack of respect,” Cotter said. “We should be respectful of each other’s time and respectful of the rules of the court.” Cotter said he hopes Hidalgo can bounce back from last week’s incident but “you have to change the way the court’s being run. We can’t have those displays and be disrespectful of the other commissioners. They’re all duly elected by the voters. I don’t feel that the support would remain if the displays of disrespect and disregarding of the rules continue.” “I like Judge Hidalgo and I hope that she can recover from this and do what she wants to do going forward,” he added. “I hope this doesn’t mark her for the rest of her political career.” Hidalgo does not appear to be apologetic for her behavior. She wrote on social media after the meeting that the four Democrats on Commissioners Court — herself, Briones, Ellis and Garcia — were elected on a platform to support smarter and more compassionate government. She went on to criticize Briones and Garcia, although she didn’t mention them by name. “Over the past two years, two of the Democratic commissioners have done everything they can to appeal to the GOP voters at the expense of those communities and movements that elected them ,” she wrote. “They have bankrupted the county, forcing cuts on basic programs on which we were elected.” So grateful for the children + families + stakeholders who came to court + made their voices heard, requesting we put early childhood education on the ballot. I am grateful for my staff and their hard work. And I am grateful to have been able to fight for these families and show…Ellis previously proposed a 3 percent tax hike that would equate to the average household paying about $89 more a year in property taxes. “I regret that today, Commissioners Court refused to even consider a modest adjustment to the tax rate — one that could have protected essential services for the people of Harris County,” Ellis said in a statement issued after the meeting. “The Trump and Abbott administrations have waged a sustained war on their constituents and on the local governments that serve them, weaponizing revenue caps and other legislation to lay waste to counties like ours,” Ellis continued. Rejecting the penny tax hike for early childhood programs also derailed an opportunity to advertise a property tax increase that could have subsidized other services, Ellis said, noting that it essentially put “housing programs, healthcare clinics, pollution control, apprenticeship opportunities for good-paying jobs, and many other essential services on the chopping block.” “Residents should have the right to decide whether to invest in the safety, health, and future of their communities,” the commissioner said in his statement. “Today that choice was taken off the table.”“If you’re running a business and you’ve got a huge percentage of a deficit, you can only do that for so long and then stuff starts to get drastic,” Cotter said. And the million-dollar question remains: Will Judge Hidalgo seek a third term? The filing deadline is in December. The primary is set for March 3, 2026, with the general election in November of next year. Democrats in the race include former Houston Mayor Annise Parker and Houston City Council Member Letitia Plummer. Erica Lee Carter, the daughter of the late longtime U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, said she’ll run if Hidalgo doesn’t. Houston Fire Fighters Association president Marty Lancton, Piney Point Village Mayor Aliza Dutt, and Warren Howell have filed as Republicans. While Hidalgo was once a darling of the Harris County Democratic Party, the first blue judge in decades, her tenure hasn’t been without controversy. She has been open about her diagnosis of clinical depression and took a leave of absence in 2023 for a seven-week inpatient program. She’s drawn criticism for expressing emotion, arguing with commissioners, and leaving meetings in progress — something she did after last week’s outburst.could hurt her in the judge’s race. Ogg has recently supported President Donald Trump’s policies, endorsed Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, and blasted Harris County’s Democratic leaders, including new District Attorney Sean Teare. Parker was a popular Houston official, serving as a nonpartisan council member from 1998 to 2004 and as mayor from 2010 to 2016 with a stint as the elected city controller in between. Plummer is also well-liked by her constituents, government watchers have said, but is not well-known outside the city limits. “If I’m Lina, and I’m running, it’s Annise Parker that keeps me up at night,” one Democratic Party precinct chair said., about 4 percent, of any elected county official. Parker scored six points higher than Hidalgo in overall approval ratings but Hidalgo, at the time, had overwhelming support from registered Democrats. Cotter said since there’s been a Democratic majority on Commissioners Court, policies have been enacted that improve the lives of Harris County residents, and that’s something they want to ensure continues. “I’m a progressive Democrat and I think we need progressive leadership in our county,” he said. “We can’t go backward and retreat to centrist or right-wing policies. I think that does damage to the folks who live in Harris County. We need progressive ideas that make people’s lives better, and that’s one of the reasons I’ve been a champion for Judge Hidalgo.” Harris County Democratic Party Chair Mike Doyle has said the party won’t endorse a candidate until after the primary. In reference to last week’s Commissioners Court meeting, Harris County Democratic Party Precinct Chair Cameron “Coach Cam” Campbell said there’s no room for infighting among local Dems in a public setting. “Champions get to nitpick and infight,” he said. “Honestly, we’re not good enough to do that. We need to get it together, like, yesterday. Voters don’t have the stomach for it. I don’t respect weak leadership. Aaron Rodgers gets to take his time to decide if he’s going to play for the Jets or the Steelers. Harris County judge is too precious and too valuable of a position. Literally, crap or get off the pot.” “Lina’s got to earn it,” he added. “Yes, you’re the incumbent, but what you’ve shown me is that you really don’t want it. All options are open for me. I’m not an anti-Lina person but you’ve got to earn it and you’ve passed that threshold of grace for being incumbent. You don’t get to gallivant in and throw your name in the hat and think everyone’s going to hail to your feet. That’s not it.” Several speakers at the August 7 meeting supported not just Hidalgo’s penny tax for early childhood education but a rate hike to cover public health programs that will be slashed or eliminated when the ARPA funds run out in 2026. “I’m concerned families will be left with no support in matters such as maternal care or preventive health-related programs,” said community organizer Shirley Ronquillo. “Couldn’t we create a proposal that secures funding for various programs? To all commissioners, I encourage you to put aside egos and work to pass a budget that supports the most vulnerable residents.”“Please make decisions that don’t create a bigger deficit in the future,” she said. “Don’t spend money the county does not have. Find other sources of revenue or partners to fill gaps and if you must, let the voters decide if they support a tax increase.” Campbell said he’s concerned that Hidalgo may have gotten “too cute in trying to make her point,” and the political theater thwarted a potential discussion on how to close the budget deficit. “You didn’t make your point and the problem’s still there,” he said. “The easiest thing to catch is the hardest thing to lose, and that’s momentum. To Ellis’ point, with the federal and state burning around us, the average voter, regardless of their party affiliation, typically has pretty high confidence and fidelity in our local politics, our local operation.” “We just lost a little bit of momentum because we took our eyes off the ball,” he added. “We can’t afford to take our eyes off the ball anymore. That has nothing to do with partisanship. That’s just part of being a proud local resident of Harris County.”covers news for the Houston Press. A native Texan, she attended Texas A&M University and has covered Texas news for more than 20 years.privacy policy The Houston Press may earn a portion of sales from products & services purchased through links on our site from our affiliate partners. ©2025 Houston Press, LP. All rights reserved.
Lina Hidalgo Cameron Campbell John Cotter Tom Ramsey Adrian Garcia Lesley Briones Rodney Ellis Annise Parker
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