Editing Harris County, Texas (section)

===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).