Harris County Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Tom Ramsey easily won re-election Tuesday, far outpacing their challengers in early and absentee voting.
In nearly full but unofficial results, Ramsey was elected to his second term in Precinct 3 while Ellis, a lifelong politician, won his third term for Precinct 1.
Though Harris County commissioners are among the most powerful local elected officials, the races this cycle were not particularly competitive largely because of the 2021 redistricting created a Democratic supermajority on Commissioners Court with Precinct 3 as the only Republican stronghold.
In Precinct 1, Republican Gerry Vander-Lyn, 74, said she ran against Ellis because she didn’t want him to run unopposed. Though Vander-Lyn ran for Houston City Council in 2018, she does not have any political experience beyond volunteering.
And in the Precinct 3 race, Saleem Malik, a deputy with the Precinct 4 Constable’s office, ran against Ramsey as the Democratic nominee, but his campaign presence was largely non-existent and much of his campaign website did not work.
Commissioners individually control hundreds of millions of dollars in road and park funds and, as part of Commissioners Court, vote on the county’s $2.7 billion budget and set the property tax rate.
Ramsey said he felt the affirmation and encouragement from constituents as he watched the results roll in at Valley Ranch Grill & Barbeque in Tomball.
“We are looking forward to another great four years,” he said. “It affirms the things we talk about and the things we do are the right priorities.”
He oversees Precinct 3, which is one of the fastest growing areas in Harris County, spanning from Cypress to Baytown, with Tomball and Huffman to the north and the Memorial Villages and Spring Branch to the south. The precinct also maintains nearly 6,800 lane miles of roadway.
Ramsey, the lone Republican on court, is a frequent dissenter during the panel’s biweekly meetings. He repeatedly has said the county needs to curb its spending, particularly on social programs.
One of Ramsey’s top priorities will be to continue pushing neighboring counties, particularly Liberty and Montgomery, to adopt stronger flood mitigation efforts, a topic the commissioner has been vocal about during Commissioners Court.
Ellis oversees Precinct 1, which represents parts of central Harris County including downtown Houston, Montrose and the Fifth Ward, covering more than 360 square miles.
He is among the most experienced politicians on Commissioners Court and typically steps in to run the bi-weekly meetings when County Judge Lina Hidalgo is not present.
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