Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker has an opponent in the Democratic primary for Harris County judge, and it’s not incumbent Lina Hidalgo. At-Large Houston City Council Member Letitia Plummer announced her bid Tuesday morning at Brock Park on Greens Bayou.
Acknowledging the recent deadly floods in Kerr County, Plummer said Harris County must take more action to protect its residents from another catastrophic storm.
“While our thoughts and prayers are offered, talk is cheap,” she said. “So far, the GOP’s underwhelming response to unfolding tragedies underscores this. When some declare that no one saw this coming, it sounds like no one in power wanted to acknowledge what climate scientists and vulnerable communities have been warning for years.”
Proactive measures are urgently needed, she said.
“Those clutching pearls and decrying this valid call to action ‘not right now,’ allow me to retort: When is [the right time]? When more innocent people die?” Plummer said. “I believe empathy must be swiftly turned into aid. I will not stand idly by.”
The decision to announce candidacy at the intersection of Halls and Greens Bayous was deliberate, Plummer added.
“Both have seen catastrophic flooding and have sorely overdue infrastructure for improvements to reduce risks and save lives,” she said.
Many of Plummer’s supporters at Tuesday’s announcement speculated that Judge Hidalgo would not seek a third term. Hidalgo said on June 26: “Our democracy is built on open participation, and more options for voters is a good thing. I understand the desire to know whether I will be running, and I expect to announce a decision in the coming weeks.”
Erica Lee Carter, the daughter of the late longtime U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, said she’ll run if Hidalgo doesn’t.
“Today I want to make it clear: If Judge Lina Hidalgo chooses not to run for re-election, I, Erica Lee Carter, will be running for Harris County Judge,” Carter wrote on social media Monday. “This community means everything to me, and I’m ready to step up and lead on the issues that matter most to Harris County.”
The filing deadline for the judge’s race is in December. The primary is set for March 3, 2026, with the general election in November of next year. Warren Howell and Piney Point Village Mayor Aliza Dutt have filed as Republicans.
Hidalgo has a strong fan base that would likely support her for a third term, and Parker also has significant support, having been elected twice as Houston mayor. Democratic Party chairs have said Parker’s friendship with former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg could hurt her in the judge’s race.
Party officials have criticized Ogg for targeting Democratic public officials and aligning herself with prominent Republicans. Parker’s LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, where she has served as president and CEO since her last mayoral term ended in 2016, endorsed Ogg in the DA’s primary race against Sean Teare last year, which Teare won with an overwhelming majority.
Harris County Democratic Party Chair Mike Doyle said the party doesn’t endorse primary candidates.
Plummer is a dentist was and the first Muslim to be elected to the Houston City Council. She made an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Congress in 2018 and was elected to her first term on City Council in 2020. In her council bio, Plummer says her diverse upbringing with African American and Yemeni-Indian roots “fostered a firm stance against injustice, guiding her toward public service and community care.”
Plummer’s announcement triggered a state law that required her to resign from her City Council post, which she did Tuesday morning. The City of Houston will likely call a special election in November. Two hopefuls, former Councilman Dwight Boykins and Alejandra Salinas, have indicated their intent to run for Plummer’s now-vacant council seat.
In Parker’s announcement at the Harris County Civil Courthouse on June 11, the former mayor criticized the Trump administration and Texas’ GOP leadership, saying she wants to keep the county safe, affordable, and thriving.
“Donald Trump is throwing millions of Americans off healthcare to fund tax cuts for billionaires — and gutting FEMA, which pays for our local response to hurricanes, flooding, and major disasters,” Parker said last month in a press release. “[Gov.] Greg Abbott and [Lt. Gov.] Dan Patrick are at war with Harris County, at war with women and people of color, and at war with public education.”
Plummer echoed similar comments about Republican leadership.
“Right now we are facing a critical moment,” she said. “We are in hurricane season and our weather has grown more extreme, mirroring the politics that seek to marginalize Harris County’s real potential. Many communities flood every single time it rains. When disaster strikes, the state and federal governments are making it clear, too often, we are on our own.
“It appears not within the capability of those leaders to show any real empathy,” she said. “Neither Governor Greg Abbott nor Donald Trump cares for us. Just look at the proof of the past. When Harvey submerged us in mire, we got the shaft in terms of discovering dollars. Republican cronies doled out aid to every rural area in Texas except for us.”
Nancy Sims, a political science lecturer at the University of Houston, said last month that Parker would likely draw support from many women, the LGBTQ+ community and progressives who voted for her in the past. Parker, whose mayoral position was nonpartisan, will have to “really get out there and prove her Democratic credentials to win the primary,” Sims said at the time.
Plummer’s at-large council position was also nonpartisan, and she, too, will have to reach outside the city limits to meet Democrats who don’t know her, Sims said Tuesday.
“[Plummer] has been a leader in apartment reform, working on tenant care and apartment maintenance issues,” Sims said, noting that the candidate has strong support in that space.
The Harris County judge’s salary is about $191,000 and the platform comes with a national stage.
“It’s one of the most diverse counties in the country and the leadership that can come out of this county and this state can affect policy around the country,” Sims said.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
