Texas Democratic Governor nominee?
$14.3K
MAR 4, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleOther
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
GenderFemale
LocationTexas
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BackgroundPolitician
EducationStanford University (B.A., Political Science)
Notable personal detailsLina Maria Hidalgo is an American politician who has served as Harris County Judge, the chief executive of Harris County, Texas. She was elected in 2018 and oversees county government operations including emergency management. She graduated from Stanford University with a political science degree and later pursued graduate studies in public policy and law before running for office.
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Positions
Economy & Taxes
Lina Hidalgo’s record includes both efforts to reduce property tax rates and expansions of county services funded through targeted tax measures. She highlights past property-tax reductions and supports county spending on programs like a $15 county minimum wage and small-business relief, while also proposing a voter-approved small property tax increase (a “penny tax”) to fund early childhood programs and backing other targeted tax increases for flood control and services when needed.
Healthcare
As Harris County Judge, Lina Hidalgo has defended the county’s public health safety net and Harris Health public hospital system, warned that federal funding cuts (including to ACA-related programs) would harm access, and implemented local public-health measures during COVID-19. Her public statements prioritize protecting government-funded health services and access for vulnerable residents.
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Immigration & Border
Supports protecting immigrant families and expanding local legal services for immigrants, opposes state measures that criminalize border crossings or make local communities less safe, and has publicly argued against politicizing crimes by blaming immigrants. Has taken county-level actions to provide immigrant legal representation and to treat immigrant communities with dignity and respect.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports protecting abortion access, called for Congress to codify Roe v. Wade, and opposed Texas restrictions such as the six-week ban; has backed county measures to mitigate impacts of state abortion limits. Positions emphasize preserving reproductive rights and opposing criminalization of reproductive health care.
Climate & Energy
Lina Hidalgo has advanced county-level climate and clean-energy policies as Harris County Judge, including a climate justice plan, adoption of a greenhouse-gas reduction goal for county operations, and pursuit of federal solar grant funding to expand community solar and lower energy costs.
Public Safety & Guns
The candidate supports expanded, “common-sense” gun safety measures — including red flag laws, safe-storage programs, protections for domestic-violence victims, and community-based gun-violence interruption efforts — while framing gun violence as a public-health and public-safety issue.
News
Lina Hidalgo is in the news as Texas’ 2026 primary election gets underway, with the U.S. Senate contest drawing major attention and turnout. Reports highlight very high early voting statewide, with Democrats outpacing Republicans in early votes. The primary has also seen confusion tied to voting rule changes, including some voters being turned away for not voting at their assigned precincts.
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements
- Fundraising