Editing Harris County, Texas (section)

==Government and politics==
County governments serve as agents of the state, with responsibilities defined in the Texas Constitution. Counties are governed by the [[commissioners' court]]. Each Texas county has four precinct commissioners and a county judge. Although this body is called a court, it conducts the general business of the county and oversees financial matters.<ref name="county">{{cite web |url=http://county.org/texas-county-government/county-govt-structure/Pages/default.aspx |title=County Government Structure |publisher=Texas Association of Counties}}</ref> The commissioners court may hire personnel to run major departments, such as health and human services.

Besides the county judge and commissioners, the other elective offices found in most counties include the county attorney, county and district clerks, county treasurer, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, justices of the peace, and constables. As a part of the checks and balances system, counties have an auditor appointed by the district courts.<ref name="county" />

Harris County was one of the earliest areas of Texas to turn Republican. It voted Republican in all but one presidential election from 1952 to 2004, the lone break coming when native Texan [[Lyndon Johnson]] carried it in his 44-state landslide in 1964. In 2008, [[Barack Obama]] was the first Democrat to win the county since Texas native [[Lyndon Johnson]] in 1964. The city of [[Houston]] itself holds one of the highest concentrations of Democratic voters in the state, while suburban areas such as [[Cypress, Texas|Cypress]], [[Spring, Texas|Spring]], and [[Katy, Texas|Katy]] in the county's western and northern areas, tend to be strongly Republican. In 2016, [[Hillary Clinton]] won the county by the largest margin for a Democrat since 1964.<ref>{{cite news |title=There's no shading it, Harris County went undeniably blue |first=Alexa |last=Ura |date=November 11, 2016 |work=[[The Texas Tribune]] |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2016/11/11/harris-county-turned-blue/}}</ref> The Democratic Party performed very strongly in the county during the 2018 elections, as it did nationwide.<ref>{{cite news | last1=Frosch | first1=Dan | title=How a Blue Wave Wiped Out Republicans in the Largest County in Texas | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-a-blue-wave-wiped-out-republicans-in-the-largest-county-in-texas-1542709801 | date=November 20, 2018 | newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | access-date=November 20, 2018}}</ref> In 2020, [[Joe Biden]] improved Clinton's performance by two points while Donald Trump only increased his vote share by one point. In 2024, Trump increased his vote share by 4 points to earn 46% to Harris 51%, the closest margin since 2012. Though it has shifted towards Democrats in recent years, Harris County has nevertheless voted to the right of [[Dallas County, Texas|Dallas]], [[Travis County|Travis]], [[Bexar County, Texas|Bexar]], and [[El Paso County, Texas|El Paso]], each of which has a smaller population.<ref name="Election-Results-Data">{{Cite web |last=Leip |first=David |title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS |access-date=July 25, 2018 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>

In 2013, Allen Turner of the ''[[Houston Chronicle]]'' said that residents of Harris County were "consistently conservative in elections" and that they were, according to a [[Rice University]] Kinder Institute for Urban Research opinion poll, "surprisingly liberal on topics such as immigration, gun control and equal matrimonial rights for same-sex couples".<ref name="houstonchronicle1">{{cite news |last=Turner |first=Allen |url=http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Survey-finds-area-growing-in-tolerant-4456041.php |title=Survey finds area growing in 'tolerant traditionalists' |work=Houston Chronicle|date=April 24, 2013}}</ref> Harris is regarded as a moderate or swing county in Texas, and has been a bellwether in presidential elections, voting for winners of every presidential election from 2000 through 2012 (both Barack Obama and Texas resident [[George W. Bush]] won the county twice).<ref name="houstonchronicle1" />

As a result of the Obama sweep in 2008, many Democratic candidates in contests for lower-level offices also benefited, and many Republican incumbents were replaced by Democrats in the Harris County courthouse. Some of the defeated Republican district court judges were later re-appointed to vacant District Court benches by Governor Rick Perry. In 2018, Democrats swept the court capturing all 59 seats on the civil, criminal, family, juvenile and probate courts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/GOP-Free-Zone-Republican-judges-swept-out-by-13376806.php|title=Republican judges swept out by voters in Harris County election|date=November 8, 2018|work=Houston Chronicle|access-date=November 14, 2018}}</ref>

The Kinder Institute's Houston Survey in 2018 found that from 2014 through 2018 the number of Houston residents who supported adoption of children by same-sex couples climbed above 50% and remained there, while in 2017 over 56% of residents reported gay or lesbian persons among their circle of close personal friends. A 2013 opinion poll had found that 46% of Harris County residents supported same-sex marriage, up from 37% in 2001. Just above 82% favored offering illegal immigrants a path to citizenship provided they speak English and have no criminal record, holding from 83% in 2013, which was up from 19% in 2009. In 2013, 87% supported background checks for all firearms, the latest year that question was included in the Kinder Houston Survey. This measure has moved up steadily from 60% in 1985 to 69% in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kinder Houston Area Survey: 2018 Results|url=https://www.datahouston.org/khas|date=April 23, 2018|work=Kinder Institute|access-date=March 18, 2019}}</ref><ref name="houstonchronicle1" />
{{PresHead|place=Harris County, Texas|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=July 25, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|722,695|808,771|26,018|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|700,630|918,193|22,434|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|545,955|707,914|58,243|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|586,073|587,044|15,468|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|571,883|590,982|8,607|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|584,723|475,865|7,380|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|529,159|418,267|27,396|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|421,462|386,726|47,705|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|406,778|360,171|175,998|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|464,217|342,919|7,024|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|536,029|334,135|2,003|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|416,655|274,061|29,298|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|357,536|321,897|5,831|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|365,672|215,916|2,943|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|202,079|182,546|86,412|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|154,401|227,819|765|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|168,170|148,275|8,954|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|155,555|93,961|5,033|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|146,665|107,604|228|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|43,117|58,488|21,012|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|11,843|71,077|21,199|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|20,797|73,520|136|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|8,083|59,205|245|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|8,604|46,886|480|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|27,188|21,536|86|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|8,953|20,648|2,878|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|7,735|14,808|6,294|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|3,009|10,131|507|Texas}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|726|6,409|1,931|Texas}}
{{U.S. SenHead|place=Harris County, Texas|Seat=1|source=<ref>{{cite news |title=2024 Senate Election (Official Returns) |website=Commonwealth of Texas by county |date=November 5, 2024 |access-date=December 5, 2024 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/texas-senate-results}}</ref>}}
<!-- U.S. SenRow should be {{U.S. SenRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{U.S. SenRow|2024|Democratic|666,027|841,784|41,103|Texas}}
{{U.S. SenFoot}}

===County facilities===
The 1910 county courthouse was renovated in the 1950s to update its systems. In the 21st century, the facility received another major renovation. Completed in 2011, the $50 million, eight-year project was designed to restore notable historic aspects of the courthouse while providing for contemporary communication and building needs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gonzales |first=J.R. |url=https://blog.chron.com/bayoucityhistory/2011/08/crown-jewel-of-harris-county-government-finally-gets-to-shine/ |title=Crown jewel of Harris County government finally gets to shine |work=Houston Chronicle |date=August 23, 2011}}</ref>

The [[Texas Courts of Appeals|Texas First Court of Appeals]] and the [[Texas Courts of Appeals|Texas Fourteenth Court of Appeals]], since September 3, 2010, are located in the 1910 Harris County courthouse.<ref>"[http://www.1stcoa.courts.state.tx.us/court/contact.asp Contact Information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725195254/http://www.1stcoa.courts.state.tx.us/court/contact.asp |date=July 25, 2010 }}." Texas First Court of Appeals. Retrieved on September 12, 2011. "NEW ADDRESS EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 First Court of Appeals 301 Fannin Houston, Texas 77002-2066"</ref><ref>"[http://www.14thcoa.courts.state.tx.us/court/contact.asp Contact Information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100726011620/http://www.14thcoa.courts.state.tx.us/court/contact.asp |date=July 26, 2010 }}." Texas Fourteenth Court of Appeals. Retrieved on September 12, 2011. "NEW ADDRESS EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 Fourteenth Court of Appeals 301 Fannin, Suite 245 Houston, Texas 77002"</ref> Previously they were located on the campus of the [[South Texas College of Law]].<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20100725195254/http://www.1stcoa.courts.state.tx.us/court/contact.asp Contact Information]." Texas First Court of Appeals. Retrieved on March 9, 2010. "Physical Location First Court of Appeals 1307 San Jacinto Street, 10th Floor (intersection of Clay and San Jacinto Streets) Houston, Texas. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100726011620/http://www.14thcoa.courts.state.tx.us/court/contact.asp Contact Information]." Texas Fourteenth Court of Appeals. Retrieved on March 9, 2010. "Physical Location Fourteenth Court of Appeals 1307 San Jacinto, 11th Floor Houston, TX 77002 "</ref>

The [[Harris County, Texas jails|Harris County Jail Complex]] of the [[Harris County Sheriff's Office]] (HCSO) is the largest in Texas, and one of the largest in the nation. In July 2012, the facility held 9,113 prisoners. To handle overcrowding in the facility, the county had to ship inmates to other counties and some are housed out of the state.<ref>{{cite web |title=Harris County jail population reductions may be short-lived if Judges, new DA don't act responsibly |work=Grits for Breakfast Blog |date=September 14, 2012 |url=http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2012/09/harris-county-jail-populations-may-be.html}}</ref>

The county has a [[potter's field]], the Harris County Cemetery on Oates Road in Houston, which previously had housing for elderly people. It has {{convert|18|acre|ha}} of land. It was established in 1921 on property taken from police officers who had acted corruptly. The county paid $80,000 for {{convert|100|acre|ha}} of land, then put in the Harris County Home For the Aged, a [[poor farm]] for elderly people of all races which had a capacity of 100; the poor farm opened in 1922. Around that time, the county cemetery was also established there. The Harris County Commissioners closed the poor farm in August 1958.<ref name=Collierfulloflife>{{cite web|last=Collier|first=Kiah|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/County-pauper-cemetery-used-to-be-full-of-life-5616267.php|title=County cemetery used to be full of life|newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]]|date=July 14, 2014|access-date=November 20, 2023}}</ref> In 2014, no more burials were allowed to occur at the Oates Road facility due to overcapacity.<ref name=BrownHatenew>{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Nate|url=https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/humble/news/article/New-cemetery-for-indigent-burials-opens-9682874.php|title=New cemetery for indigent burials opens|newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]]|date=June 23, 2014|access-date=November 20, 2023}}</ref>

By 2013 the county was building a second potter's field due to overcapacity at the first.<ref name=Collierfulloflife/> Harris County Eastgate Cemetery had started operations in 2014.<ref name=BrownHatenew/> It is near the [[Crosby, Texas|Crosby]] [[census-designated place]] and has a Crosby postal address.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://csd.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/AboutUs.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203140808/https://csd.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/AboutUs.aspx|title=About Us Harris County Community Services Department|publisher=Harris County Government|archive-date=December 3, 2020|access-date=November 20, 2023|quote=Burial is provided at the Harris County Cemetery, at 21122 Crosby Eastgate Road.}} - The cemetery referred to here is the new one in the Crosby area, and not the old one on Oates Road.<br />Compare to: {{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/DC20BLK/st48_tx/place/p4817756_crosby/DC20BLK_P4817756.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Crosby CDP, TX|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=November 20, 2023}} - The cemetery is not in the boundaries of the CDP.</ref>

The county had a poor farm in what is now [[West University Place]] that closed in 1923. The county cemetery was formerly there; the bodies were transferred to the new property.<ref name=Collierfulloflife/>

===County government===
====Harris County elected officials====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Position
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Name
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Party
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| County Judge
| [[Lina Hidalgo]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| District Attorney
| Sean Teare
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| County Attorney
| [[Christian Menefee]] 
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| District Clerk
| Marilyn Burgess
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| County Clerk
| Teneshia Hudspeth
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| Tax Assessor-Collector
| Annette Martinez
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| Treasurer
| Carla Wyatt
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| Sheriff
| [[Ed Gonzalez]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| Commissioner, Precinct 1
| [[Rodney Ellis]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| Commissioner, Precinct 2
| [[Adrian Garcia (politician)|Adrian Garcia]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| Commissioner, Precinct 3
| Tom Ramsey
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| Commissioner, Precinct 4
| Lesley Briones
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| School Trustee, At-Large, Pos. 3
| Richard Cantu
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| School Trustee, At-Large, Pos. 5
| Erica Davis
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| School Trustee, At-Large, Pos. 7
| David W. Brown
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| School Trustee, Pct. 1, Pos. 6
| Danyahel "Danny" Norris
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| School Trustee, Pct. 2, Pos. 1
| Amy Hinojosa
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| School Trustee, Pct. 3, Pos. 4
| Andrea Duhon
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| School Trustee, Pct. 4, Pos. 2
| [[Eric Dick (lawyer)|Eric Dick]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| Constable, Precinct 1
| Alan Rosen
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| Constable, Precinct 2
| Jerry Garcia
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| Constable, Precinct 3
| Sherman Eagleton
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| Constable, Precinct 4
| Mark Herman
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| Constable, Precinct 5
| Ted Heap
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| Constable, Precinct 6
| Silvia Trevino
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| Constable, Precinct 7
| May Walker
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| Constable, Precinct 8
| Phil Sandlin
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|}

===Courts===
There are 67 District Courts &mdash; 24 Civil, 29 Criminal, 11 Family, and 3 Juvenile &mdash; in Harris County.  District court judges are elected official, serving four-year terms. In addition to the 67 presiding judges, there are 20 Associate Judges.<ref name=JustexHarris>{{cite web|access-date=March 2, 2025
|url=https://www.justex.net |title=District Courts of Harris County
|publisher=Justex.com}}</ref>

====Criminal District Courts====
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Office<ref name="Justex">{{cite web | url=https://www.justex.net/courts/criminal | title=Justex }}</ref>
! Name
! Party
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 174th District Court
| Hazel B. Jones
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 176th District Court
| Nikita V. Harmon
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="red" |
| 177th District Court
| Emily Detoto
| Republican
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 178th District Court
| Kelli Johnson
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 179th District Court
| Ana Martinez
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 180th District Court
| DaSean Jones
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 182nd District Court
| Danilo Lacayo
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="red" |
| 183rd District Court
| Lance G. Long
| Republican
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 184th District Court
| Katherine N. Thomas
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 185th District Court
| Andrea Beall
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 208th District Court
| Beverly D. Armstrong
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 209th District Court
| Brian E. Warren
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="red" |
| 228th District Court
| Caroline Dozier
| Republican
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 230th District Court
| Chris Morton
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 232nd District Court
| Josh Hill
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 248th District Court
| Hilary Unger
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 262nd District Court
| Lori Chambers Gray
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 263rd District Court
| Melissa M. Morris
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 337th District Court
| Colleen Gaido
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="red" |
| 338th District Court
| Michele Oncken
| Republican
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 339th District Court
| Te'iva J. Bell
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 351st District Court
| Natalia "Nata" Cornelio
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 482nd District Court
| Veronica M. Nelson
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="red" |
| 486th District Court
| Aaron Burdette
| Republican
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 487th District Court
| Stacey Barrow
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="red" |
| 488th District Court
| Matthew Peneguy
| Republican
|-
| bgcolor="red" |
| 495th District Court
| Lori DeAngelo
| Republican
|-
| bgcolor="red" |
| 496th District Court
| Dan Simons 
| Republican
|-
| bgcolor="red" |
| 497th District Court
| Peyton Peebles 
| Republican
|}

====Juvenile District Courts====
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Office<ref name="Justex"/>
!Name
!Party
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 313th District Court
| Natalia Cokinos Oakes
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 314th District Court
| Michelle Moore 
| Democratic
|-
| bgcolor="blue" |
| 315th District Court
| Leah Shapiro
| Democratic
|}

===United States Congress===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Representatives
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Name
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Party
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | First elected
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Area(s) of Harris County represented
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| District 2
| [[Dan Crenshaw]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2018
| Atascosita, Huffman, Humble, Kingwood, Spring
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| District 8
| [[Morgan Luttrell]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2022
| Parts of Cypress and Katy, Waller
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| District 7
| [[Lizzie Fletcher]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2018
| West Houston, Memorial Villages, Bellaire, West University Place, west and northwest areas of county
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| District 9
| [[Al Green (politician)|Al Green]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2004
| Alief, Southwest Houston, Houston's Southside
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| District 18
| [[Sylvester Turner]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2024
| Downtown Houston, Bush IAH, northwest and northeast Houston, inner portions of Houston's Southside
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| District 22
| [[Troy Nehls]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2020
| Ellington Field, Katy
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| District 29
| [[Sylvia Garcia]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2018
| Aldine, Channelview, East Houston, Fall Creek portion of Humble, Galena Park, Jacinto City, northern Pasadena, North Shore, western Sheldon, South Houston
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| District 36
| [[Brian Babin]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2014
| Clear Lake City, NASA Johnson Space Center, southern and central Pasadena, Deer Park, Baytown, Crosby, La Porte, eastern Sheldon, Dayton, Seabrook, Morgan's Point, Shore Acres, El Lago, Nassau Bay, Taylor Lake Village
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| District 38
| [[Wesley Hunt]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2022
| Jersey Village, Cypress, Tomball, Katy, and Klein
|}

===Texas Legislature===
====Texas Senate====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | District
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Name
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Party
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | First elected
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Area(s) of Harris County represented
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| 4
| [[Brandon Creighton]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2014
| Kingwood, far eastern portions of Baytown
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 6
| [[Carol Alvarado]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2013
| Houston Ship Channel, eastern portions of Houston, Jacinto City, Galena Park, northern Pasadena, western portion of Baytown
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| 7
| [[Paul Bettencourt]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2014
| Memorial Villages, Memorial/Spring Branch area, Addicks Reservoir, northwest portions of county
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| 11
| [[Mayes Middleton]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2022
| Southeast
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 13
| [[Borris Miles]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2016
| Downtown Houston, Texas Medical Center, southwest and northeast Houston, Houston's Southside
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 15
| [[Molly Cook]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2024
| Northwest Houston, Bush IAH, southern portion of Humble, eastern Harris County
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| 17
| [[Joan Huffman]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2008
| Meyerland, Bellaire, West University Place, much of Greater Katy area, far west Houston, Barker Reservoir
|}

====Texas House of Representatives====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | District
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Name
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Party
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | First elected
! style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" | Area(s) of Harris County represented
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| 126
| [[Sam Harless]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2018
| Champions/FM 1960 area
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| 127
| [[Charles Cunningham]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2022
| Humble, Kingwood, Lake Houston, Atascocita, Crosby, Wallisville
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| 128
| [[Briscoe Cain]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2016
| Baytown, Deer Park, La Porte
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| 129
| [[Dennis Paul]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2014
| Clear Lake City, NASA Johnson Space Center, Southeast Harris County (including Seabrook and Webster)
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| 130
| [[Tom Oliverson]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2016
| Northwest Harris County (including Cypress, Tomball, Waller)
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 131
| [[Alma A. Allen|Alma Allen]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2004
| far Southwest Houston and far South Side
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| 132
| [[Mike Schofield]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2020
| West Harris County (including Greater Katy area)
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| 133
| [[Mano DeAyala]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2022
| West Houston along [[Sam Houston Tollway|West Sam Houston Tollway]], including western portion of Memorial/Spring Branch and part of the Energy Corridor
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 134
| [[Ann Johnson (politician)|Ann Johnson]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2020
| Inner western portions of Houston (including Meyerland, River Oaks and Memorial Park), Texas Medical Center, West University Place, Bellaire, Southside Place, Western [[Montrose, Houston|Montrose]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 135
| [[Jon Rosenthal]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2018
| Jersey Village and southeastern segments of the Champions/FM 1960 area
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 137
| [[Gene Wu]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2013
| Southwest Houston (including Sharpstown and Gulfton)
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| 138
| [[Dwayne Bohac]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2002
| Northwest Houston and parts of the Memorial/Spring Branch area north of I-10, Addicks Reservoir
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 139
| [[Jarvis Johnson]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2016
| North Houston and Aldine west of I-45
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 140
| [[Armando Walle]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2008
| North Houston and Aldine east of I-45
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 141
| [[Senfronia Thompson]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 1972
| Northeast Houston, Bush IAH, Greenspoint, southern portion of Humble
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 142
| [[Harold Dutton, Jr.]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 1984
| East Houston and Northshore area
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 143
| [[Ana Hernandez Luna]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2006
| East Houston within Loop 610, Houston Ship Channel, Galena Park, Jacinto City, northern Pasadena
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 144
| [[Mary Ann Perez]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2016
| Southern Pasadena, far southeast Houston
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 145
| [[Christina Morales]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2019
| Inner southeastern portions of Houston (mainly east of I-45), South Houston (not part of the city of Houston)
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 146
| [[Shawn Thierry]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2016
| Inner portions of Houston's South Side
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 147
| [[Jolanda Jones]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2022
| Downtown Houston, inner southeastern portions of Houston (mainly west of I-45), Eastern [[Montrose, Houston|Montrose]], Midtown, [[Third Ward, Houston|Third Ward]]
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 148
| [[Penny Morales Shaw|Penny Shaw]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2020
| North and Northwest Houston mainly within Loop 610 (including Houston Heights)
|-
| style="background:blue;" |
| 149
| [[Hubert Vo]]
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| 2004
| Far west Houston, Alief, unincorporated portions of Katy area east of Fry Rd, Barker Reservoir
|-
| style="background:red;" |
| 150
| [[Valoree Swanson]]
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| 2016
| North Harris County (including Spring and Klein)
|}

The county has an elections administrator and elections office, which was non-partisan but under the oversight of Democrat [[Lina Hidalgo]], the Harris County Judge. The State of Texas Legislature passed a law, SB 1750, that asks for the position to be abolished effective September 2023, as the law states that any county with at least 3,500,000 persons should have elections done by the clerk and tax assessor-collector; of all Texas counties, only Harris would be affected. This was done following failings in the 2022 election, as confirmed by the investigation initiated by Harris County District Attorney [[Kim Ogg]]'s office.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fechter|first=Joshua|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/13/harris-county-2022-election-investigation/|title=Texas Rangers find no evidence of efforts to sway 2022 election results in Harris County|newspaper=[[The Texas Tribune]]|date=August 13, 2024|access-date=August 13, 2024}}</ref> In August 2023, Karin Crump, the presiding judge of the 250th civil district court of Travis County, stated that this went against the [[Texas Constitution]], citing how the law only affected one county.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sessions|first=Kennedy|url=https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/harris-county-elections-administrator-18297399.php|title=Texas judge blocks law banning Harris County elections admin|newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]]|date=August 15, 2023|access-date=August 15, 2023}}</ref> Crump's ruling was overturned by the Texas Supreme Court.<ref>https://houstonlanding.org/texas-supreme-court-rules-against-harris-county-returns-election-duties-to-clerk-assessor/</ref>

====County services====
[[File:Harris County Criminal Courts Building.jpg|thumb|upright|Harris County Criminal Courts Building]]The [[Harris County Flood Control District]] manages the effects of flooding in the county.

The [[Harris County Sheriff's Office]] operates jail facilities and is the primary provider of law enforcement services to the unincorporated areas of the county. The sheriff is the conservator of the peace in the county. The Harris County jail facilities are in northern downtown on the north side of the Buffalo Bayou. The 1200 Jail,<ref>[http://www.hcso.hctx.net/detentioncommand/detention/1200_jail.asp The 1200 Jail] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223163418/http://www.hcso.hctx.net/detentioncommand/detention/1200_jail.asp |date=February 23, 2009 }}." ''Harris County, Texas''. Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref> the 1307 Jail, (originally a TDCJ facility, leased by the county),<ref>"[http://www.hcso.hctx.net/detentioncommand/detention/1307_jail.asp The 1307 Jail] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003084112/http://www.hcso.hctx.net/detentioncommand/detention/1307_jail.asp |date=October 3, 2008 }}." ''Harris County, Texas''. Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref> and the 701 Jail (formed from existing warehouse storage space) are on the same site.<ref>"[http://www.hcso.hctx.net/detentioncommand/detention/701_jail.asp The 701 Jail] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918014649/http://www.hcso.hctx.net/detentioncommand/detention/701_jail.asp |date=September 18, 2008 }}." ''Harris County, Texas''. Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref>

The Community Services Department provides community services. The department maintains the {{convert|20|acre|ha}} Oates Road Cemetery (also known as the Harris County Cemetery) for indigents in eastern [[Houston]], near the former [[Southern Bible College]]. In March 2010, the county adopted a cremation first policy, meaning that the default preference for most indigents is to have them cremated instead of buried. As of 2010, the county authorized the Community Services Department to purchase about {{convert|50|acre|ha}} of land in the [[Huffman, Texas|Huffman]] area so the county will have additional spaces for indigent burials.<ref>Taylor, David. "[https://archive.today/20130125205225/http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2010/09/02/lake_houston_sentinel/news/090210_county_cemetery.txt County to purchase land for cemetery]." ''[[Lake Houston Sentinel]]''. September 2, 2010. Retrieved on September 7, 2010.</ref>

The Harris County Housing Authority (HCHA) is a governmental nonprofit corporation which addresses the need for quality affordable housing.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Harris County Housing Authority |url=http://www.hchatexas.org/ |work=website |year=2010 |access-date=September 24, 2010}}</ref> The HCHA has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as the highest performing housing authority in the region and was named one of America's 10 best Public Housing Authorities.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Harris County Housing Authority Honored with Two NAHRO Awards of Merit for Model Housing Solutions |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Harris+County+Housing+Authority+Honored+with+Two+NAHRO+Awards+of...-a0183644462 |agency=Reuters |publisher=Business Wire |access-date=September 24, 2010 |date=August 25, 2008 |archive-date=February 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226152001/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Harris+County+Housing+Authority+Honored+with+Two+NAHRO+Awards+of...-a0183644462 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Guy R. Rankin]], IV is chief executive officer of Harris County Housing Authority (HCHA).

===State government===
The [[Texas Department of Criminal Justice]] operates some correctional facilities in Harris County, including:
* [[Kegans Unit]], located in [[Downtown Houston]], is a state jail for men. It is in the north of downtown along the north side of the Buffalo Bayou, next to the county facilities.<ref>"[http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/unitdirectory/hm.htm Kegans (HM)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926064917/http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/unitdirectory/hm.htm |date=September 26, 2008 }}." ''[[Texas Department of Criminal Justice]]''. Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref>
* [[Pam Lychner Unit]], named after [[Pam Lychner]] and located in unincorporated northeast Harris County, east of the city of [[Humble, Texas|Humble]], is a state jail for men.<ref>"[http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/mediasvc/connections/JanFeb2003/saluting_v10no3.html Saluting Employees January/February 2003] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080602214149/http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/mediasvc/connections/JanFeb2003/saluting_v10no3.html |date=June 2, 2008 }}." ''[[Texas Department of Criminal Justice]]''. Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref><ref>"[http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/unitdirectory/aj.htm Lychner (AJ)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926064850/http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/unitdirectory/aj.htm |date=September 26, 2008 }}." ''[[Texas Department of Criminal Justice]]''. Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref>

As of 2001, Kegans and Lychner serves male state jail offenders from Harris County, with Kegans getting lower-risk offenders and Lychner getting higher-risk and special-needs offenders. If both of the male state jails in Harris County are full, excess offenders go to the Gist Unit in [[Jefferson County, Texas|Jefferson County]]. Female state jail offenders from Harris County go to the [[Plane Unit]] in [[Liberty County, Texas|Liberty County]].<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20011117151853/http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/publications/red/kegans-sj-00.PDF State Jail Evaluation Summary Report Kegans State Jail]." [[Texas Department of Criminal Justice]]. October 2000. Retrieved on July 2, 2010.</ref>

The South Texas Intermediate Sanction Facility Unit, a parole confinement facility for males operated by [[Global Expertise in Outsourcing]], is in downtown Houston, west of [[Daikin Park]].<ref>"[http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/unitdirectory/xm.htm SOUTH TEXAS (XM)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821230211/http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/unitdirectory/xm.htm |date=August 21, 2008 }}." ''[[Texas Department of Criminal Justice]]''. Accessed September 12, 2008.</ref>

===Law enforcement===
[[File:Harris County Sheriff Ford Police Interceptor Utility.jpg|thumb|Harris County Sheriff Ford Police Interceptor]]
{{As of|2018}} there are over 60 law enforcement agencies operating in the county.<ref name=Land>{{cite web|author=Land, David|url=https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2018/09/06/303136/report-harris-county-should-consolidate-law-enforcement-duties/|title=Report: Harris County Should Consolidate Law Enforcement Duties|publisher=[[KUHT|Houston Public Media]]|date=September 6, 2018|access-date=September 11, 2018}}</ref> They include: the [[Harris County Sheriff's Office]], the Harris County Constable Office, the [[Houston Police Department]], [[METRO Police Department]], other municipal police departments, and school district police departments.<ref>"Appendix A: Overview of Law Enforcement Agencies." ''[https://kinder.rice.edu/sites/g/files/bxs1676/f/documents/KI%202018%20Research%20Report-Law%20Enforcement%20online%20version%204_0.pdf Collaborations and Overlapping Services in Harris County Law Enforcement] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180908024335/https://kinder.rice.edu/sites/g/files/bxs1676/f/documents/KI%202018%20Research%20Report-Law%20Enforcement%20online%20version%204_0.pdf|date=September 8, 2018}}''. [[Rice University]] [[Kinder Institute for Urban Research]], September 2018. Retrieved on September 11, 2018. p. .</ref>

The combined yearly sum spent by these agencies circa 2018 was $1.6 billion. That year the [[Rice University]] Kinder Institute for Urban Research released a report advocating for consolidating several of these agencies as a way of saving taxpayer money.<ref name=Land/>