Lina Hidalgo Rides Blue Wave To Harris County's Highest Office

HOUSTON, TX — County Judge-elect Lina Hidalgo did a bit more than score a big win for the Democratic party in her win last night. She also made a little history, becoming the first Latina woman to win the county judges seat, the first immigrant, and likely the youngest at only 27-year-old.

Hidalgo narrowly defeated Republican incumbent Ed Emmett, with barely 50 percent of the ballots and 590,524 to Emmett’s 572,816 votes.

Hidalgo, who didn’t air any political ads until the morning of the general election, was among the local candidates who rode a blue wave through Harris County politics that also swept Republican judges from the bench with straight ticket voters.

But Hidalgo also defeated a county judge that guided the Houston area through two hurricane recoveries and is credited with saving the landmark Astrodome on Kirby Drive.

Hidalgo was born in Colombia and came to the United States as a child. Her story is the picture of the American dream in action, having come from a war-torn region as a child and realized she was finally safe and able to grow up, free.

However, Democrats see her victory as a diversification of the county court, which could have a majority if a slim victory by former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia holds up.

The votes will be canvassed by the county commissioners court at the next meeting and Hidalgo will be sworn in as the next Harris County Judge in January 2019

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Image: Lina Hidalgo

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