I am writing to ask that you pass SB 1750 and SB 1933 and present facts as to why the passage of these bills is important to Harris County and the entire state of Texas.
Harris County is the largest county in Texas and, for the last decade, has consistently had either the most or second most Republican voters out of every county in the nation. Unfortunately, since 2020, Harris County has been more infamously known as the poster child on how not to run an election.
I, along with many other Harris County Republican leaders, election workers, and subject matter experts have spent countless hours testifying in Austin this session. While giving testimony, I consistently heard members say, “I’m tired of hearing about the problems with how badly elections are run in Harris County.”
Let me assure you — no one is more tired of the problems that have plagued Harris County elections due to poor leadership and mismanagement than I and the Harris County GOP grassroots and primary voters are.
As the Chairman of the Harris County Republican Party, I have been dismayed by what appears to be the lack of action by the Texas House of Representatives regarding passing critical election integrity legislation, including SB 1750, SB 1933, and several other election bills that have withered on the vine.
Why should you care about what happens in Harris County? I’m a CPA by training, so let me break it down with cold-hard numbers.
With over 2.5 million registered voters, almost 14% of the votes cast this past November in the state were from Harris County voters. Harris County has had multiple chances to get running our elections right since the Elections Administrators office was formed in 2020, and they simply can’t. Some examples include, but are in no way limited to, the suppression of the Republican vote by eliminating historical Republican polling locations, undersupplying multiple polls with ballot paper resulting in countless voters being turned away, nearly 10,000 ballots not being initially counted, polling locations opening hours late, and more.
For the sake of Harris County voters and confidence in elections for all Texans, it’s time for you all to step up and say “Enough” through decisive legislative action.
Harris County could be the deciding factor that leads to losing close Statewide, Congressional, and Senatorial elections because elections in Harris County are so problematic. If things get worse in Harris County (and they will without preemptive legislation), they will undoubtedly get worse for all of Texas. You all have an opportunity to correct many of these election issues, and if you neglect this, you will own the blame. Our primary voters and donors know this and are watching carefully.
Today there are 21 election challenges by Harris County Republican candidates related to the November 2022 election. We hope all or some of the 21 election challengers will get new elections. However, our primary voters and donors know that without robust election integrity laws passed this session, we will have the same group running the elections in Harris County who refuse to display any accountability or integrity, and Republican voters will continue to be disenfranchised. Additionally, it’s not a stretch to see what has happened in Harris County could be perpetuated in other counties across the state in future elections.
It’s time to take action and pass SB 1750 and other important election integrity bills like SB 1933. The passage of SB 1750 will eliminate the Harris County Elections Administrator’s position and give the voters their voice back by putting our elections back in the hands of the duly elected County Clerk and County Tax Assessor with oversight from the Secretary of State.
