For Immediate Release

Contact: Jonathan Geldof

jonathan@linahidalgo.com

(410) 707-3163 


Lina Hidalgo Campaign Debuts First Ad, Exposes Extremist Abortion Stance of Far-Right Challenger


New ads reveal stark contrast between Hidalgo and radical GOP opponent silent on extreme anti-abortion law  


Harris County, Texas (Aug 9, 2022) – Ahead of the midterm election, incumbent Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo pulls back the curtain on her GOP opponent’s dangerous anti-abortion views in a new, hard-hitting ad, “Not a Word”. With Judge Hidalgo’s consistent track record for protecting women’s health from the extreme right-wing, like pushing for the County to expand access to contraception, calling on Congress to take action following the SCOTUS leak, and tackling maternal mortality in Harris County, the campaign further solidifies her decisive commitment to shielding Harris County women from a far-right agenda that bans abortion even in cases of rape, incest, and possible threat to the mother’s life.


A critical element of the County Judge’s role is funding and helping oversee the public hospital system, which provides healthcare, including reproductive healthcare, and—when medically necessary—abortions. 


“Harris County already suffers from some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the developed world—in the face of the frightening dangers to women in post-Roe America, our opponent has remained silent,” says campaign manager, Jonathan Geldof.


“Judge Hidalgo will continue fighting the effects of SB8 and pushing to better fund Harris County’s public hospital system. Her GOP opponent however, tacitly supports her allies’ ongoing efforts to make a bad situation worse by undermining women’s healthcare and cutting funds to public healthcare,” says Geldof.


Hidalgo has remained unafraid to advocate for women in Harris County in the face of unrelenting attacks from the extreme right-wing. Springing into action after the repeal of Roe, Hidalgo cast the deciding vote in a County resolution seeking to expand access to affordable and no-cost contraception, sexual education, family planning, and avenues to attain safe legal abortions, in addition to speaking at the Texas Rally for Abortion Rights. 


Hidalgo’s opponent Alex Mealer calls herself “very pro-life”, touts endorsements from controversial figures like Jan. 6 insurrectionist Doc Greene, Senator Ted Cruz and Angela Box, a former HISD teacher who was forced to resign for using racial slurs, refuses to admit Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, and appears to support Governor Greg Abbott’s catastrophically-restrictive policies on abortion. Abbott’s nationally-criticized governance includes approving Senate Bill 8, a law that allows private citizens to sue anyone who “aids or abets" performing abortions. Mealer’s complete silence on the repeal of Roe v. Wade allows the extremist views of her endorsers to speak on her behalf. 


To view Lina Hidalgo for Harris County Judge’s latest ad, “Not a Word,” click here. Stay up to date with the campaign by following Lina on social media at @linahidalgotx on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter


ABOUT LINA HIDALGO

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is the Chief Executive of Harris County, which, at almost five million residents, has a population larger than that of 25 states. Judge Hidalgo oversees a budget of over $4 billion which funds critical government services and infrastructure. She also serves as Harris County’s Director of Emergency Management.


Lina Hidalgo was elected Harris County Judge in 2018. Hidalgo is the first woman and the first Latina to hold the top position in Texas’ most populous and the nation’s third-largest county. Hidalgo successfully led Harris County through chemical fires, floods, Texas’ deadly winter freeze and the COVID pandemic – all while overhauling how the County tackles flooding and making record-breaking investments in fighting crime and tackling homelessness. 


Born in Colombia, Hidalgo immigrated to Houston with her family in 2005. She earned a degree in political science from Stanford University, and was seeking joint degrees in law and public policy at NYU and Harvard when she decided to run for office. Prior to her time in office, Hidalgo worked at the Texas Civil Rights Project and  a Spanish-English medical interpreter, as well as at an international nonprofit promoting freedom of the press.


She received the prestigious John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award for her swift response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was recognized with the Jack Brooks Foundation Leadership Award for her work to protect voting rights and access to the ballot box. Hidalgo has also been named to TIME Magazine’s 100 Next list as well as Forbes 30 Under 30 and Fortune’s 40 under 40.



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Paid for by Lina Hidalgo for Harris County
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