From the inbox, our first announced candidate for Harris County Judge:
Lina Hidalgo
Today, Lina Hidalgo, a young, Harvard and Stanford-educated immigrant, announces her candidacy for Harris County Judge, the top seat on the Harris County Commissioners Court.
Ms. Hidalgo and her family fled Colombia in the height of the drug war, and arrived in Houston after living for several years in Peru and Mexico. Ms. Hidalgo attended public high schools and went on to attend Stanford University, where she graduated with a degree in political science in 2013. She became a U.S. citizen the same year.
“Harris County has given me and my family so much, and I feel a deep responsibility to give back,” said Ms. Hidalgo, when asked why she is running for office. “I had friends who, like me, were eager for knowledge and an opportunity to grow but whose family, unlike mine, ran into tough luck instead of a lucky break. I want Harris County’s government to help foster opportunities for everyone who is lucky enough to live here.”
Hidalgo has spent years working on behalf of the community and for fairer and more effective criminal justice systems. She has gone on to pursue a joint degree in law and public policy at NYU and Harvard. Hidalgo’s aim is to harness the power of Harris County to reform the County’s criminal justice system; make sure people are safe from flooding; promote safe, accessible neighborhoods; and pave the way for better jobs.
“Change can’t come fast enough to communities who are hurting from the losing side of discrimination, poor infrastructure decisions, and inequality,” Hidalgo said. “I am eager to serve my community and give back. We have to fight to fix the gross inequality and waste in our criminal justice system, to build a Commissioners Court that more in touch with the community, and to make sure every family here has a fair shot.”
Hidalgo’s website is here and her Facebook page is here. She is the first declared Democratic candidate for County Judge; Annise Parker is known to be considering the race, but as yet has not made any commitments. This is obviously the toughest race on the county ballot for a Democrat, as Judge Ed Emmett has been a top votegetter and will have plenty of goodwill and financing. Hidalgo is an interesting new face and appears to have a good story to tell about herself. I look forward to hearing more from her.
Harvard educated?
Hopefull she’ll gave more ideas than amanda edwards and alex triantaphyllis
Does she have any actual experience… like practicing law ? Serving as a Public Defender or Prosecutor or law or intake clerk at the DA’s office ? I ain’t got no love for Ed Emmett or his mistress, the Astrodome, but throw me a bone, Lina.
I know you primarily cover Harris County, but we do have a Democrat running for County Judge in Montgomery County as well, Jay Stittleburg. No financing reports yet, as he announced right after July 1st.
C.L. why would she practice law? County Judge does not have to be an attorneyEmmett is not an attorney http://www.judgeemmett.org/biography.asp
I don’t believe she has a website as I did not find it, but did find her facebook page.
NHNT, Kuff included a link to her website.
Well thank you Steve, did you try it, when the post first appeared? I did, it was not linking. So either she has posted one since or Kuff updated his link.
I tried it shortly after he posted it but I don’t recall the time, no offense intended.
@Neither…. I’m just looking for some job experience that’d qualify her for the position she wants to get elected to.
@Neither…. I’m just looking for some job experience that’d qualify her for the position she wants to get elected to.
In terms of experience she seems to have a Public Policy degree that is quite fitting to the Chief Administrative Officer position for Harris County’s governing body that deals with various public policy issues and needs to be a generalists in all aspects of local government. In addition her bio indicates she has a dual degree in law; i.e. a J.D. and Masters in Public Policy. So she has the legal background previous commenters were concerned about.
Relating private sector experience to elected officials is more or less irrelevant.
Amanda Edwards went to harvard law, interned with sheila jackson lee, spent 7+ years in the private sector. She still has no ideas.
@Joe…. Amanda may well be handicapped due to the time she spent with SJL.
She is young from what I read, not sure what would qualify her but she is more qualified now then some of the commissioners that are there were when they won. My question to her was where does she stand in regards to the undocumented.
Annise Parker would not be a strong candidate for county judge.
Annise Parker would not be a strong candidate for county judge.