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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
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said her concerns about safety and heat during the 2026 FIFA Fan Festival were ignored by top organizers. On the festival\u2019s opening day Thursday in Houston\u2019s East Downtown neighborhood, several people were hospitalized for heat-related illnesses<\/a>. <\/p>\n In an interview with Houston Public Media on Thursday, Hidalgo said she sent requests for bolstering preparations ahead of the World Cup-related event, but most had been ignored. She also claimed she had been denied access to NRG Stadium, a county-owned facility where Houston is hosting seven matches as part of the international soccer tournament, until two days before the World Cup started.<\/p>\n At the fan festival in East Downtown, a separate location where local residents and visitors can watch the games, four people were hospitalized Thursday and about 20 others were treated for heat-related illnesses, Houston Fire Department Capt. Raul Reyes said.<\/p>\n Sign up for the Hello, Houston!<\/a> daily newsletter to get local reports like this delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n Hidalgo said she had previously raised concerns about potential heat-related illnesses and concerns about access to water. <\/p>\n “I sent a set of recommendations and requests and all I got back was, \u2018We\u2019ll take that into consideration,’\u201d Hidalgo said. \u201cI said, \u2018OK, well, you got to do more than that,’ and then they didn\u2019t respond.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris Canetti, president of the Houston World Cup host committee, told Houston Public Media on Friday evening that event organizers \u201ctook a lot of steps in front for heat mitigation, as it relates to shade structures, watering stations, cooling stations, air-conditioned spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n As a result, he said, \u201cOur medical people saw less cases yesterday than they anticipated. And that, I think, was a part of us taking all these steps ahead of time. But when we did have some medical issues, they were dealt with properly, and people were taken care of as they should.”<\/p>\n Regarding Hidalgo\u2019s claims about being denied entry to NRG Stadium until recently, representatives of FIFA and NRG Park did not immediately return requests for comment. The stadium and surrounding NRG Park are under FIFA\u2019s control during the World Cup. <\/p>\n The stadium where the soccer matches are being played has temporarily been rebranded as \u201cHouston Stadium,\u201d because of FIFA\u2019s sponsorship policies.<\/p>\n Hidalgo has had a fractured relationship with NRG Park officials since her dustup with Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo officials earlier this year. <\/p>\n In March, Hidalgo said she was threatened by security and removed from the NRG Stadium during a rodeo concert after she attempted to bring another elected official, two children and the parents of a recently deceased U.S. Air Force sergeant to Megan Moroney’s concert. Rodeo leaders revoked her leadership role with the event after the dispute in which she said she was threatened with arrest and shoved by security personnel in the stadium. Rodeo officials disputed her claims.<\/p>\n Hidalgo said she wasn\u2019t sure if she was denied access to the stadium ahead of the World Cup because of the incident. <\/p>\n