Fort Bend Democrats take top county posts

Fort Bend County voters delivered a shift in local leadership on Nov. 3, according to unofficial totals released by the county. Democrats secured victories in the county judge race and two commissioner seats, maintaining their presence on the five-member Commissioners Court.

Dexter McCoy defeated Republican Daniel Wong for the county judge position with 59% of the vote to Wong’s 40%. McCoy addressed a crowd at a watch party in Sugar Land on Election Day night. He described the campaign as a difficult path that many voters supported due to concerns about character and community care.

“This has been a rough journey,” McCoy said. “It has been so dark and it often times didn’t seem like we could see the light. I think people responded to what we have seen as a lack of character, a lack of real care and concern for the hardworking people in our community.”

In Precinct 2, incumbent Democrat Grady Prestage won reelection with 74% of the vote against Republican challenger Tony Aranda, who received 25%. Prestage’s seat covers the southeastern part of the county, including areas of Fresno, Missouri City, and Sienna. During the same event in Sugar Land, Prestage emphasized the responsibility of public officials to manage taxpayer funds carefully and listen to residents.

“You got the power, you got to use it wisely,” Prestage said. “And what you got to make sure is, don’t let our people down. It’s a high stakes situation.”

Democrat April Jones won the Precinct 4 commissioner seat with 68% of ballots cast, defeating Republican Ken Mathews who received 31%. This district includes portions of Richmond, Sugar Land, Mission Bend, and Four Corners in the northern part of the county. The results keep Democrats holding three of the five seats on Commissioners Court, a balance that has existed since 2019 in a county that has traditionally leaned Republican.

The election concluded a year marked by legal disputes and internal conflicts on the court. Two-term Judge KP George, a Democrat who switched to the Republican party, received a federal money laundering conviction. She was suspended from office in April. A visiting Galveston County judge appointed Wong as interim county judge at that time, creating a divide over his authority. Wong’s campaign also removed a social media video featuring an AI-generated depiction of Black voters after facing criticism during early voting.

McCoy said he plans to restore transparency to county operations upon taking office. He stated he will conduct a full audit of county management under the previous administration. He also said he would perform a fiscal audit to eliminate wasteful duplication, specifically citing the creation of a new legal civil department approved by commissioners in October.