Sarah Grunau/ Houston Public Media
While Democratic voters are poised to support former Houston Mayor Annise Parker’s bid for the Harris County judge’s seat in the primary election, most Republican voters are unsure which candidate they will cast a ballot for, according to a new survey released Tuesday by the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs.
Though Houston firefighters union leader Marty Lancton entered the crowded race as a top Republican candidate for the position — backed by local and state GOP heavyweights and emerging as one of the top fundraisers — 10% of likely Republican voters said they plan to vote for him in the March 3 primary election. Early voting started Tuesday and runs through Feb. 27.
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While 54% of Republican voters said they were not sure who they will vote for in the race, according to the survey, 21% said they intend to support Orlando Sanchez — who served as county treasurer for 12 years, as a Houston City Council member for six years and has launched more than a dozen campaigns for local elected positions since the 1990s.
Orlando Sanchez campaign
Orlando Sanchez, candidate for Harris County judge.
Sanchez has garnered support for his bid in the county judge’s race from conservative political action committees and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.
Meanwhile, Lancton gained the endorsement of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — who during a campaign stop in Cypress last year announced a plan to turn Harris County dark red by devoting a significant portion of his war chest to back Republican candidates. He labeled Lancton a “decorated firefighter and proven advocate for working families.”
The Hobby School survey found 46% of likely Democratic voters intend to vote for Parker in the primary election, while 25% plan to vote for Letitia Plummer, a former Houston City Council member. Twenty-four percent of Democratic voters said they were undecided, while 5% said they would back Matt Salazar in the primary election.
RELATED: How to vote in the March 2026 primary election in the Houston area
Parker served as the city’s mayor from 2010-16 and then led the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit that supports and advocates for LGBTQ+ political candidates. She also served stints as a Houston City Council member and city controller.
The nine total candidates for county judge are vying to succeed Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat who announced in September she would not seek a third term.
County Attorney election
Macie Kelly / Houston Public Media
Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin at a council meeting on Jan. 15, 2020.
Three candidates are on the ballot in the March primary election for the Harris County attorney position, which acts as the county’s chief legal advisor and represents the county in litigation.
Two of the candidates are on the Democratic ballot: Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin and civil court Judge Audrie Lawton-Evans. The only Republican candidate is Jacqueline Lucci Smith, a former civil court judge who once worked in the county attorney’s office.
The new survey shows 26% of likely Democratic voters are poised to select Kamin for the position, while 13% plan to vote for Lawton-Evans. But most voters — about 61% — are undecided.
Harris County commissioners in January tapped Deputy County Attorney Jonathan Fombonne to serve as the interim county attorney. The appointment was prompted by County Attorney Christian Menefee’s run for Houston’s 18th Congressional District. Menefee, who won a special election in late January to complete the unexpired term of late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner, is now defending his seat in a Democratic primary that includes longtime U.S. Rep. Al Green, who switched congressional districts in his bid for reelection.
Though Menefee in his previous role provided legal counsel to the county government, he repeatedly used his position to fight President Donald Trump’s administration in federal court. In her bid for county attorney, Kamin’s approach to be selected for the position mirrors Menefee’s own efforts.
District Clerk election
There are eight candidates on the 2026 Democratic primary ballot vying for the Harris County District Clerk’s position. One Republican candidate has entered the race — Chris Daniel, who previously served in the position for eight years.
More than four-fifths of likely Democratic voters, or 82%, said they were not sure who they will vote for in the race.
The remaining 18%, according to the survey, were distributed almost evenly among the eight Democratic candidates: Desiree Broadnax, Pernell Davis, Angie Dozier, Donna Glover, Darrell Jordan Jr., Carlis Lollie, Jose “Alex” Maldonado and Rozlyn “Rozzy” Shorter.
Harris County District Clerk Marilyn Burgess in September announced she would not seek reelection for her seat. The announcement came days after Houston Public Media reported that she voted in a salary grievance committee meeting to give herself an $81,000 raise. After county commissioners raised red flags about a possible conflict of interest and denied her request for a salary increase, Burgess said she was “deeply concerned” by how the county is run.
Disclosure: Houston Public Media is licensed to the University of Houston System. The university does not play a role in Houston Public Media’s editorial decisions. Read our statement of ethics and standards here.