Plummer wins Harris County Judge race with 62% of vote

Letitia Plummer became Harris County Judge on Tuesday after defeating Republican challenger Orlando Sanchez. The election result makes Plummer the first Black woman and the first Muslim to hold the position in the county's history. Sanchez called Plummer to concede the race at approximately 9 p.m. on Tuesday.

Plummer received 62 percent of the total vote, according to AP News data. Sanchez received nearly 38 percent of the vote. This margin of victory made Plummer the highest-ranking Muslim executive official in Texas history. The office previously was held by retiring County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who announced her departure from the role.

Plummer characterized her campaign as an uphill battle where she started as the underdog. She told reporters after the election that the work begins immediately. She stated, “My promise remains the same: I'm working towards building a stronger, safer Harris County.” She emphasized that her goal is to serve the people who voted for her in this specific district.

Before seeking the judgeship, Plummer served as a Houston City Council member. She was first elected to the council in 2019 and held an At-Large position until launching her campaign for the county judge's seat. Her opponent, Orlando Sanchez, served as Harris County treasurer for many years. Both candidates have long histories in Houston local politics.

A poll from the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs conducted in mid-October showed Plummer leading Sanchez by 7 percentage points. At that time, 13 percent of likely voters remained undecided. The campaign featured online clashes between the two candidates. They argued about a virtual debate that ended early due to technical issues and about their respective political records.

Plummer had previously won a runoff election against former Houston Mayor Annisse Parker. That earlier victory may have provided an advantage against Sanchez. Plummer said she intends to build a working relationship with Mayor John Whitmire. She described her goal as creating an alliance between the city and the county governments to improve collaboration on local issues.