By Ronnie Marley Published May 18, 2026 8:12am CDT Election FOX 26 Houston
HOUSTON – Texans will head to the polls on May 26 to vote in their party’s primary runoff election.
Big picture view: In March, Republicans and Democrats voted for the candidates they want to represent their party on the November ballot. However, races where no single candidate got more than 50% of the vote head to a runoff between the two candidates who got the most votes.
Harris County Judge race
The race to determine who will be next leader of Harris County will be closely watched across the state as current Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced she was not running for reelection.
On the Republican ticket, the runoff will be between Warren A. Howell and Orlando Sanchez. On the Democratic ticket, the runoff will be between Leticia Plummer and Annise Parker.
Who is Orlando Sanchez?
According to his campaign website, “Orlando Sanchez came to Houston as a child, fleeing Communist oppression in Cuba with his family. He’s a graduate of Bellaire High School and the University of Houston, and a proud veteran of the United States Air Force and the Texas Air National Guard. Orlando served six years on Houston’s City Council and was assigned to the Council’s Budget Committee. Elected as Treasurer for Harris County for 12 years, he won numerous awards and recognition for providing transparency to the voters of Harris County. He served as vice-chair of the Legislative Affairs Committee for the County Treasurers Association of Texas. During his time as County Treasurer, he received his certification as a County Investment Officer. Orlando is a life member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the 100 Club of Houston. He is chairman of the University of Houston Foundation Board of Trustees and served as its Investment Committee Chairman. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Capital Bank and serves on the bank’s Audit Committee and on the Assets & Liabilities Committee. Orlando serves his community as a member of the Board of Directors of HCA Hospital Northwest. He is a fellow of the British-American Project and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.”
