HOUSTON — Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo will not seek reelection in 2026, her office confirmed to KHOU 11 Monday night.

That means Harris County will have a new leader for the first time since Hidalgo took office in 2019.

Hidalgo, a Democrat, was elected to her first term in 2018 with a shocking defeat of Republican Ed Emmett. She won reelection in 2022 in a contentious race over Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer.

The two-term county judge has had a rough couple of years marred by heated exchanges with fellow Democrats over the budget, a censure by the Commissioners Court following a chaotic meeting, and public fights with Mayor John Whitmire.

She also saw the country through the COVD pandemic and several devastating weather events, including Hurricane Beryl and the derecho.

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