What this office does
The County Judge is the presiding officer of Harris County Commissioners Court, the county's main governing body, which handles administrative, legislative and judicial functions — adopting a budget, setting tax rates, calling bond elections, and overseeing county infrastructure such as roads and bridges along with courthouses, jails, libraries, parks and the Harris County Flood Control District. By state law the County Judge is also the county's director of emergency management, leading the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management.
Leads Harris County Commissioners Court: the county budget, flood control district, public health, and the jail. Re-elected 2022.
Election watch
The County Judge seat is on the November 3, 2026 ballot, but Judge Hidalgo is not a candidate — when she first ran in 2018 she pledged to serve only two terms. See "Your ballot" for who is running.
The Commissioners Court approved appointing Gregg T. Reyes to the Board of Pilot Commissioners for Harris County Ports, filling an unexpired term that ends February 1, 2028.
The Commissioners Court approved reappointing Asheley Gilbert to Position 5 on the Harris County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners for a term ending August 25, 2028.
The Commissioners Court approved transferring budget appropriations between accounts within the Flood Control District and certain county departments.
The Commissioners Court approved paying September 2026 debt service on Harris County Road Bonds, Permanent Improvement Bonds, Flood Control Bonds, and Flood Contract Tax Bonds, up to $115,300,957, due by September 15, 2026.
The Commissioners Court approved paying October 2026 debt service on Harris County Road Bonds, Permanent Improvement Bonds, Flood Control Bonds, and Flood Contract Tax Bonds, up to $120,278,748, due by October 1, 2026.
The Commissioners Court approved an additional $4,085,000 in commercial paper funding for the Law Enforcement Personnel Equipment project, bringing total commercial paper funding for that project to $11,240,000.