My name is Lina, and I’m proud to announce my re-election for Harris County, Texas. Here’s why this election matters.
John, it’s Lina Hidalgo, and I’m the County Judge here in Harris County, Texas – the third-most populous county in the nation. I’m proudly running for re-election, and I’d like to take some time today to introduce myself and earn your support.
If you’re not familiar with my story, I was born in Colombia during the drug war. Bombs went off blocks from our house. My parents left in search of a better life – and they found it here in Harris County.
Harris County made me who I am. It’s where I experienced the American Dream. I wanted to help make sure everyone else had the same shot, which is why I first ran for County Judge, and why I’m running for re-election now.
Over the past few years, I’ve had the honor to serve as the top executive in the largest county in Texas, overseeing an annual budget of $5 billion that affects the lives of more than 5 million folks.
And I’ve worked hard to bring government back to the people, to make government more proactive and innovative – in areas such as disaster recovery, misdemeanor bail reform, and voting access – that are already becoming national best practices.
I’ve opened the doors to County government to bring transparency and accountability to a job where so many decisions used to be made behind closed doors.
Recently, I’ve been leading the opposition to voter suppression legislation here in Texas – legislation that would completely reverse the gains we’ve made to expand access to the ballot.
It’s a reminder to us that the progress we’ve made is not guaranteed. We have to protect it, and fight for it, and make sure we can continue moving forward.
