Lake Houston - Humble - Kingwood Edition | January 2026

Election

BY MELISSA ENAJE

Harris County Judge, Republican Primary

George Harry Zoes Candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.

Warren A. Howell Occupation & experience: Business owner, construction executive, commercial insurance/ risk manager, Air Force veteran, civic association president www.warrenhowell.info

Oscar Gonzales Candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.

What are your top three priorities for constituents in Harris County, and why?

Candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.

Restore public safety and rule of law by strengthening coordination across agencies, supporting law enforcement and xing bottlenecks in courts and jail capacity. Stop waste and restructure county operations with a full audit of departments, contracts, payroll classications and procurement—then cut what doesn’t serve core duties. Rebuild basic infrastructure and ...

Candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.

Patrick “Marty” Lancton Occupation & experience: President of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association www.lanctonforharriscounty.com

Orlando Sanchez Occupation & experience: Former Houston City Council & County treasurer, board member Capital Bank & HCA Hospital Northwest www.orlandosanchez.com

Aliza Dutt Occupation & experience: Mayor of Piney Point Village, leading energy analyst on Wall Street, living the American Dream www.teamdutt.com

What are your top three priorities for constituents in Harris County, and why?

Reducing crime, improving public safety, infrastructure including ˆood control, and capital improvements that directly improve safety and quality of life. These are my priorities because Harris County MUST focus on solving problems, not growing bureaucracy.

Cut property taxes because as we’ve all seen our tax dollars are wasted. Create a public safety district that would allow any of more than 12,000 law enforcement ocers in our region to respond to emergency calls. Use the ˆood control bond money approved by voters to address ˆooding.

Supporting law enforcement ocers and rst responders is critical for the safety of our families, homes, and businesses. Additionally, with over 5 million residents, reliable infrastructure is a top priority—from roads to drainage systems. We will achieve both goals by empowering local authorities to solve issues closest to them.

Harris County Judge, Democratic Primary

Matt Salazar Occupation & experience:

Letitia Plummer Occupation & experience: Practicing dentist, small business owner, former Houston City Council member, and community nonprot founder. www.drletitiaplummer.com

Annise Parker Occupation & experience: Houston mayor, controller, and council member. Managed multi-billion- dollar budgets; led emergency response during ... www.anniseparker.com

Entrepreneur, workforce employer, economic policy and community development advocate. www.votemattsalazar.com

What are your top three priorities for constituents in Harris County, and why?

My rst priority is a zero-based, accurate budget so every dollar is justied. That foundation allows three priorities to function: public safety and disaster readiness, economic mobility and government accountability. Without honest numbers, even good ideas fail to deliver.

I will prioritize justice by expanding Cite and Release and non-police emergency responses. I’ll establish a County Housing Trust Fund for permanent a•ordability and hold landlords accountable. Finally, I will aggressively fund Harris Health clinics in underserved communities and expand behavioral health services to address the root causes of community …

Flood infrastructure resilience; emergency preparedness; and a•ordability for working families. Next is access to healthcare. These issues directly a•ect safety, stability and quality of life, and require coordinated planning, disciplined budgeting and accountability. Overlaying all these is the imperative to protect Harris County from attacks by Abbott, Paxton, and Trump.

Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. For more election coverage, go to www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

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LAKE HOUSTON  HUMBLE  KINGWOOD EDITION

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