Who is running for Harris County Attorney (Unexpired Term) in 2026?

Harris County Attorney (appointed, effective June 15, 2026)

Abbie Kamin is a civil rights attorney who represented District C on Houston City Council from January 2020 and resigned under the resign-to-run law after filing for county attorney in December 2025². She previously was associate regional director of the Anti-Defamation League's Southwest office². Commissioners Court appointed her Harris County Attorney in a 3-2 vote, effective June 15, 2026, and she is the Democratic nominee for the unexpired term³¹.

• Harris County Attorney since June 15, 2026, by appointment³
• Houston City Council, District C, first elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023²
• Associate Regional Director, Anti-Defamation League Southwest Region; civil litigation and civil rights attorney; earned a JD after studying at Tulane University²
• Says she worked on voter ID and redistricting litigation, served as a committee director and clerk for the Texas House, and worked with minority counsel for the U.S. House Oversight Committee during law school⁴
• Appointed county attorney by Commissioners Court on April 16, 2026 in a 3-2 vote (Briones, Garcia and Ellis for; Hidalgo and Ramsey against) to serve through Dec. 31, 2026; she must win the Nov. 3 election to serve the rest of the term through 2028³. She won the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary over Audrie Lawton Evans, 50.56 to 49.44 percent⁶.

Attorney, Lucci Smith Law, PLLC; former judge, Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 2

Jacqueline Lucci Smith is a Houston attorney and mediator who was judge of Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 2 from 2007 to 2012 and earlier worked in the Harris County Attorney's Office and the Harris County Tax Office². She narrowly lost the 2024 county attorney race to Christian Menefee³. She is the Republican nominee for the unexpired county attorney term¹.

• Founder and managing member, Lucci Smith Law, PLLC, since 2013; of counsel at Winstead, P.C., 2012 to 2013²
• Judge, Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 2, 2007 to 2012²; re-elected in 2010 and resigned in early 2012 to join a law firm⁴
• Director and legal counsel, Harris County Tax Office, 2001 to 2006; Assistant Harris County Attorney, 1998 to 2001²
• JD, South Texas College of Law (1992); BS in business administration, Lynn University (1987)²
• Unopposed in the March 2026 Republican primary⁵. She ran for county attorney in 2024 and received 49.42 percent of the vote, by her campaign's count².