:focal(0x0:3000x2000)/static.texastribune.org/media/files/b04163a14af07524beb7e4ad37c0135f/Sean%20Teare%20CAMPAIGN.jpg "Sean Teare unseated Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg in the primary")
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Former prosecutor Sean Teer unseated embattled, two-term Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg Tuesday night in a primary race that has divided county Democrats.
Thier’s campaign gained momentum as the district attorney faced a barrage of criticism from within his own party. Thier – a prosecutor in Ogg’s office until last year – will face Houston attorney Dan Simons, the only Republican candidate in the race, in the November general election.
Teare led Ogg in early and mail-in voting by more than 50 percent Tuesday night. In a University of Houston poll released during early voting, he had a nearly 40-point lead over Ogg among likely voters. Ogg conceded the race just before 9pm on Tuesday night.
In front of a crowd at 8th Wonder Brewery, Tear thanked his supporters, including organizations like the Working Families Party and the Texas Organizing Project.
“We have a vision,” Thier said. “We have something that we all really want to do, and what you’ve just seen with these numbers means that the public is definitely coming with us.” The voters are coming with us. We are going to change Harris County.”
Ogg has been criticized by local Democrats for failing to deliver on promises to reform criminal justice, her alleged ties to Texas Republicans and mounting resignations in her cabinet. During two terms in office, she investigated members of her own party and publicly clashed with U.S. District Judge Harris Lina Hidalgo, a high-profile local progressive who supports Thier.
In the months leading up to the election, Thier has promised to take more action on democratic reforms as Ogg fends off a storm of fresh accusations. Her office wrongly brought criminal charges in thousands of cases, the Houston Chronicle revealed. And recent reports claim she mishandled an investigation into an undermining Texas Republican.
Teer had the support of a group of Democratic precinct chairs in Harris County who recently voted to censure Ogg for misrepresenting party values. In a University of Houston poll released during early voting, more than 65 percent of likely Democratic primary voters said they viewed Ogg unfavorably.
Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and State Rep. Gene Wu, a Houston Democrat who endorsed Ogg in 2016, also endorsed Teer before the election.
Teare ran a well-funded campaign, bringing in more than 10 times as much money as Ogg in the first half of 2023. In the final stage of fundraising before the race, from Jan. 26 to Feb. 24, billionaire George Soros’ Texas PAC for Justice and Public Safety contributed nearly $700,000 to his campaign. The group previously endorsed Ogg during her 2016 election run.
Ogg, who was backed by prominent Houston Democrats including state Sen. Carol Alvarado and state Rep. Mary Ann Perez, caught up before the polls opened and narrowly outperformed Teer in January.
But with more than $50,000 coming from the local bail bond industry and large contributions from a Republican mega-donor, she has drawn the ire of local Democrats.
At the Giant Texas Distillery Tuesday night, Ogg thanked her voters and told her supporters she’s “made some powerful enemies for all the right reasons.”
“I want to say to my fellow Houstonians that I’ve lived with all my 64 years every day in this city and tell you that if doing my job costs me my job, then I’m leaving with my head held high,” said Og.
As the next district attorney in Texas’ largest county, Teer will face major challenges, including a growing criminal case backlog and overcrowding at the state’s largest county jail. In the run-up to the race, he criticized Ogg’s actions on those issues and other Democratic priorities, including bail reform.
Ogg campaigned on promises to reform the county’s bail system in 2016, but reversed course while in office. In 2019, she opposed a settlement in a lawsuit in which a federal court found that jailing people accused of crimes before trial because they can’t afford bail is unconstitutional. And she later launched an investigation into a county agency overseeing the progress of bail reform.
Ogg defended his party loyalty, record on bail and progress on democratic reforms. On the campaign trail, she emphasized that her office has decriminalized most marijuana possession and diverted thousands of juveniles from prison. In an earlier statement to The Tribune, she accused Thier of “trying to create division in the Democratic Party.”
Still, voters sided with Thier, ending the incumbent’s bid for a third term.
Incumbent Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza also won his race, overcoming a heated challenge from defense attorney Jeremy Celestin.
Voting FAQ: 2024 Primary
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What happens after the Texas primary?
If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the primary race, the top two vote-getters will advance to the May 28 primary runoff. Whoever wins the runoff will be nominated by their party for that race in the Nov. 5 general election. There are also local elections on May 4 and a subsequent runoff on June 15, during which some local governments, such as cities, school districts and water districts, hold general elections for their elected offices or special elections to fill vacancies.
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How are runoffs different from general elections?
In Texas, voters can only vote in one-party primaries and runoffs or at a third-party convention. During the November general election, voters can vote for any candidate, regardless of party affiliation. The candidate with the most votes wins, and there are no runoffs in state elections.
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What deadlines do I need to know to participate in the local elections in May?
Election day for the local elections is May 4. To participate, you must register or update your voter registration by April 4. Vote-by-mail applications must be received by your county’s early voting officer — postmarked — by April 23. Early voting is scheduled for April 22-30. (For each June 15 local runoff, the last day to register or update your voter registration is May 16. Vote-by-mail applications must be received by your county’s early voting officer — without a postmark — by June 4. The early voting is scheduled for June 3-11.)
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What deadlines do I need to know to participate in the May primaries?
Election Day for the primary runoffs is May 28. You must register or update your voter registration by April 29 to participate. Vote-by-mail applications must be received by your county’s early voting officer — postmarked — by May 17. Early voting is scheduled for May 20-24.
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What deadlines do I need to know to run in the November general election?
Election day for the general election is November 5. You must register or update your voter registration by October 7 to participate. Vote-by-mail applications must be received by your county’s early voting officer — not postmarked — by October 25. Early voting is scheduled for October 21 through November 1.
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Why does Texas have so many elections?
Yes, we noticed too. Texas is one of only eight states that require primary candidates to win more than 50% of the popular vote before moving on to the general election. That adds a runoff to the state’s election calendar. The long ballots facing Texas voters, which include partisan elections for judges, stem from the state’s historic distrust of government and a desire for Texans to have a say at every level of government.
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