Rodriguez leads Cox in Harris County Court 13 race

Raul Rodriguez, the Democratic incumbent, leads with 815,167 votes, or 62.1%, to Republican Amber Cox's 497,381 votes, or 37.9%, with all 1,224 reporting units counted, according to unofficial results from Harris County Clerk Elections Department. Rodriguez led by 317,786 votes out of 1,312,548 counted. Rodriguez is seeking a third term on the misdemeanor bench he has held since January 2019. The totals are not yet certified, and this article does not declare a winner.

What was at stake

Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 13 handles misdemeanor criminal cases. Rodriguez presides over one of five specialty courts known as SOBER Court, which stands for Saving Ourselves By Education and Recovery, according to his campaign website. The program serves defendants with alcohol or substance abuse issues.

The key issues:

• Rodriguez ran on expanding what he called "Smart Justice" initiatives, including a Spanish-language SOBER Court and "Fresh Start" clinics where eligible defendants can petition to have their records cleared or sealed, according to a candidate questionnaire.
• The Houston Chronicle editorial board endorsed Rodriguez and described Cox as a Harris County prosecutor who did not meet with the board in person.
• Misdemeanor bail reform, adopted after a 2019 federal consent decree, remained a central issue across Harris County's criminal court races. The Chronicle reported that an independent bail monitor found reoffense rates did not increase under the reforms.

Rodriguez also co-chairs the Harris County Pre-trial Services and Community Supervision and Corrections Department Committee, according to his campaign website.

A little history

Rodriguez was first elected to Court 13 in November 2018 and re-elected in November 2022. Before taking the bench, he spent 26 years in private criminal defense practice in Houston and served 13 years as an associate municipal court judge, according to his campaign website. Cox previously ran for a Harris County district court seat in 2022, according to Texas Scorecard.

What's next

The results remain unofficial until Harris County Commissioners Court completes the canvass. The deadline to finish the canvass is Nov. 17.

Election results: Harris County Criminal Court-at-Law Judge - Court 13 (Texas General Election, 2026-11-03)

Source: Harris County Clerk Elections Department. Results current as of Nov. 4, 2026, 8:39 a.m. CST. Reporting: 1,224 of 1,224. Unofficial results; every reporting unit has reported.