Democrat Letitia Plummer was elected Harris County judge Tuesday, defeating Republican Orlando Sanchez with nearly 61% of the vote, according to early unofficial results. Plummer, a former Houston City Councilwoman, becomes the first African American and first Muslim elected to the post.
HOUSTON — Sanchez conceded the race shortly after 9 p.m., according to Houston Public Media.
Plummer’s victory also makes her the highest-ranking Muslim executive official in Texas history, according to the Houston Chronicle.
“The voters of Harris County have made their decision, and while it’s not the outcome that we had hoped for, I respect the judgment of the people that we sought to serve,” Sanchez said.
Plummer, a dentist by trade, began her political career with an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2018. She was elected as an at-large Houston City Council member in 2019 and took office in January 2020, according to Houston Public Media. She resigned from the council earlier this year after announcing her campaign for county judge.
In the March 3 primary, Plummer finished second behind former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, with Parker taking about 47% of the vote to Plummer’s 37%, which forced the race into a runoff, according to HBCU Buzz. Plummer defeated Parker in the May 26 runoff with about 51% of the vote.
Sanchez, a former Harris County Treasurer, called for routine audits of county departments, slashing property taxes and cutting costs to address the county’s budget issues during his campaign, according to Houston Public Media. He advanced through a runoff earlier this year against Republican challengers Warren Howell and Marty Lancton.
The county judge position does not preside over a courtroom. The role leads the Harris County Commissioners Court, which oversees the county budget and decisions involving roads, flood control, public health and other county services, according to Click2Houston. The court sets yearly property taxes and makes funding decisions on flood control initiatives, Houston Public Media reported.
Plummer has advocated for building a stronger working relationship among members of the commissioners court and called for better county services and changes to the county’s Flock camera contract, according to Houston Public Media and HBCU Buzz.
During a debate last month, Plummer criticized state government for exerting authority over Harris County, citing the governor’s efforts to remove rainbow crosswalks from Montrose and the state takeover of the Houston Independent School District, Houston Public Media reported. She has also called for working closely with city government, particularly Houston Mayor John Whitmire.
On election night, Plummer spoke about her personal struggles with surrogacy, saying that experience helped inspire her decision to run, according to HBCU Buzz.
“I did not sign up for this job because I thought it would be easy, because nothing in my life has. I ran because I believe that I can absolutely make a difference as your public servant with your support,” Plummer said, according to Houston Public Media.
Plummer grew up in Linkwood, a neighborhood south of Brays Bayou near Buffalo Speedway. Her grandfather was a Tuskegee Airman flight instructor, and her father, Matthew Plummer Jr., studied dentistry at Harvard, according to HBCU Buzz. She attended Spelman College, joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and earned her dental degree at Baylor College of Dentistry.
In other county races, Democratic commissioners Adrian Garcia and Lesley Briones retained their seats on the commissioners court, keeping the five-member governing body in Democratic control, according to Houston Public Media. Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey remains the only Republican on the body.
Briones’ Republican challenger, former county commissioner Steve Radack, received 37% of the vote. Garcia was re-elected to a third term overseeing Precinct 2 with 65% of the vote against Republican challenger Richard Vega. The Supreme Court of Texas denied Vega’s legal challenge to remove Garcia from office in September, Houston Public Media reported.
Plummer succeeds Lina Hidalgo, who chose not to seek another term.
