Macie Kelly / Houston Public Media
Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin at a council meeting on Jan. 15, 2020.
Former Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin emerged as the top Democratic candidate for Harris County Attorney, according to complete but unofficial election results released Wednesday morning. She narrowly beat Judge Audrie Lawton Evans to advance to November’s general election in the race to be named the chief legal advisor of the county.
On the Republican ticket, Jacqueline Lucci Smith — a former judge for Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 2 — ran unopposed, receiving 143,099 votes.
Christian Menefee resigned from the county attorney position last March after announcing his bid for the 18th Congressional District seat, which was previously vacated by late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner. He continued serving in an acting capacity until county commissioners decided to appoint Jonathan Fombonne as the interim in January.
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Kamin announced her bid for the position in December, vacating her city council seat in accordance with Texas’ resign-to-run rules. Her vacancy set up an open seat for her position on the city’s largest legislative body, and a special election to fill that seat will take place in April. She will continue serving in the position in an acting capacity until her replacement is sworn in, according to a press release.
Kamin, a civil rights attorney, has served as a council member since 2019. Her campaign website details her work to target domestic abuse, gun violence and public safety issues on city council. Most recently, she spearheaded a new online dashboard evaluating firearm-related injuries across Houston.
She touted endorsements from Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia, Texas House Democratic Caucus chair Gene Wu and city council members Sallie Alcorn, Mario Castillo and Tarsha Jackson.
“When Donald Trump and Greg Abbott come for our families here in Harris County, I won’t flinch, fold, or be intimidated,” Kamin previously said in her campaign announcement. “I will do what I’ve always done: fight for all of our families as fiercely as I fight for my own.”
County election returns on Wednesday show Kamin gained 50.5% of the vote on the Democratic ticket for Harris County Attorney. Lawton Evans, a civil court judge who was the only other Democrat who ran for the position, fell short with 49.5% of the vote.
The general election between Kamin and Smith will be held on Nov. 3.