Sarah Grunau/ Houston Public Media
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo confirmed her intentions to not seek reelection during a press conference Sept. 16, 2025.
In the aftermath of her dustup at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which has prompted some to call for her resignation, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is on a trade mission to Europe with the Greater Houston Partnership, according to the economic development organization.
The trip is meant to promote business opportunities in Harris County ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Houston is hosting seven matches in June and July. The trade mission has stops in the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal — which are among the countries whose soccer teams will compete in Houston — according to Brina Morales, a spokesperson for the Greater Houston Partnership. She said The Netherlands is Houston’s closest trading partner.
Morales and a spokesperson for Hidalgo on Monday confirmed her attendance on the trade mission along with the partnership.
Sign up for the Hello, Houston! daily newsletter to get local reports like this delivered directly to your inbox.
“The Greater Houston Partnership organized the trip in collaboration with other organizations in our region, company leaders, and other representatives of state and local government entities,” Morales said in a statement. “These leaders will work to showcase Houston internationally, with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo participating in the mission.”
The trip comes as Hidalgo is facing calls for her resignation after a dispute with security officials during a sold-out Megan Moroney concert at the rodeo last Tuesday. Hidalgo and her guests attempted to access the chute — a premium area in NRG Stadium closest to the concert stage — without proper credentials.
Hidalgo claimed she was threatened with arrest, shoved by security personnel and escorted out of a rodeo concert, subsequently posting several videos and an audio clip to her social media account detailing the incident.
The board of directors for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo revoked Hidalgo’s leadership role on the board after disputing her claims that she was “manhandled” during the encounter.
An item on the commissioners court agenda Thursday will acknowledge the rodeo’s achievements during the event this year.
A spokesperson for Hidalgo’s office did not immediately say whether Hidalgo will attend a packed commissioners court meeting on Thursday. The trade mission ends on Saturday.
In a social media post on Monday, Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey called for Hidalgo’s resignation in response to the rodeo incident.
In his own social media post, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican, last week called for Hidalgo’s resignation in response to the incident.
“She should resign period,” he wrote in a post to X. “Repeatedly asking for $9k of tickets, then blaming others for her own bad behavior in writing is [simply] unconscionable.”
Hidalgo, a Democrat who is not seeking a third term this year, serves as the top executive for the Harris County government. The county owns NRG Stadium and the surrounding NRG Park and leases the property to the rodeo for its annual event.
Her spokesperson did not immediately comment on calls for Hidalgo to resign.
The Europe trade mission — which started in Frankfurt, Germany on Monday — will include meetings throughout the week with senior government officials, investors and corporate decision-makers, according to the Greater Houston Partnership.
The trip includes a Portuguese Football Federation investment summit on Wednesday, a U.S. Ambassador reception on Thursday and a Royal Netherlands Football Association summit in the Netherlands on Friday.
The trade mission includes a delegation of 25 participants, according to the Greater Houston Partnership.
Hidalgo attended trade missions to Paris and Japan last year in an effort to garner business for Harris County.
The Paris trip was a point of contention between Hidalgo and county commissioners as she requested to use county funds to back her security detail for the trade mission. After commissioners rejected the funding provision, she said she would pay for the trip with her personal campaign funds.
The most recent trade mission is also being paid through Hidalgo’s campaign, a spokesperson said.