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Sarah Grunau\/ Houston Public Media<\/p>\n
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo confirmed her intentions to not seek reelection during a press conference Sept. 16, 2025.<\/p>\n
In the aftermath of her dustup at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo<\/a>, 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. <\/p>\n The trip is meant to promote business opportunities in Harris County ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Houston is hosting seven matches<\/a> in June and July. The trade mission has stops in the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal \u2014 which are among the countries whose soccer teams will compete in Houston \u2014 according to Brina Morales, a spokesperson for the Greater Houston Partnership. She said The Netherlands is Houston\u2019s closest trading partner.<\/p>\n Morales and a spokesperson for Hidalgo on Monday confirmed her attendance on the trade mission along with the partnership. <\/p>\n Sign up for the Hello, Houston!<\/a> daily newsletter to get local reports like this delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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,\u201d Morales said in a statement. \u201cThese leaders will work to showcase Houston internationally, with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo participating in the mission.\u201d<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 a premium area in NRG Stadium closest to the concert stage \u2014 without proper credentials. <\/p>\n 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<\/a> detailing the incident. <\/p>\n The board of directors for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo revoked Hidalgo’s leadership role on the board<\/a> after disputing her claims that she was \u201cmanhandled\u201d during the encounter.<\/p>\n An item on the commissioners court agenda Thursday will acknowledge the rodeo\u2019s achievements during the event this year.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Hidalgo\u2019s office did not immediately say whether Hidalgo will attend a packed commissioners court meeting on Thursday. The trade mission ends on Saturday.<\/p>\n In a social media post<\/a> on Monday, Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey called for Hidalgo\u2019s resignation in response to the rodeo incident.<\/p>\n In his own social media post, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican, last week called for Hidalgo\u2019s resignation in response to the incident. <\/p>\n \u201cShe should resign period,\u201d he wrote in a post to X<\/a>. \u201cRepeatedly asking for $9k of tickets, then blaming others for her own bad behavior in writing is [simply] unconscionable.\u201d <\/p>\n