Gov. Greg Abbott is escalating the ongoing GOP battle against Harris County elections -this time, threatening a state takeover of operations and potential legal charges. "They should be stripped of the operating elections, and state officials should take over," Abbott wrote on X Thursday, referring to Harris County election officials.

Harris County officials push back after Governor Greg Abbott calls for the state to take over local elections, citing security measures and transparency as they prepare for upcoming elections, including the midterms.

Jonathan Fombonne, the newly appointed Harris County attorney, said Gov. Greg Abbott lacked the authority to take control of local elections in a Friday news release.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said Democrat-leaning Harris County "should be stripped of operating elections" while referencing a Houston Public Media report about the local tax office finding more than 100 voter registrations linked to P.

By the end of June, Harris County will have held at least five elections, including special elections, runoffs, and the March primary.

The findings were in response to a complaint filed by state Sen. Paul Bettencourt earlier this year, prompting the Texas Secretary of State's office to threaten potential oversight of elections in Harris County,

Just four candidates have declared their intent to challenge two incumbent commissioners, each of whom represent roughly a million residents, in the 2026 elections.

Harris County Commissioners unanimously voted to appoint Jonathan Fombonne as interim county attorney on Thursday, following Christian Menefee’s advancement to a runoff in the special election for Texas’s 18th Congressional District.