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Former prosecutor Sean Teare unseated Harris County’s embattled, two-term District Attorney Kim Ogg Tuesday night in a primary race that divided county Democrats.
Teare’s campaign gained steam as the district attorney faced a barrage of criticism from within her own party. Teare — a prosecutor in Ogg’s office until last year — will face Houston attorney Dan Simons, the lone Republican candidate in the race, in November’s general election.
Teare led Ogg in early and mail-in votes by over 50 percent Tuesday night. In a University of Houston poll released during early voting, he held a near 40 point lead over Ogg among likely voters. Ogg conceded the race shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday night.
In front of a crowd at 8th Wonder Brewery, Teare thanked his supporters, including organizations like the Working Families Party and Texas Organizing Project.
“We have a vision,” Teare said. “We have something that we all really want to do, and what you just saw with those numbers means that the public is absolutely coming with us. The voters are coming with us. We are going to change Harris County.”
Ogg has taken flak from local Democrats for reneging on criminal justice reform promises, her alleged links to Texas Republicans and increasing resignations in her office. Over two terms in office, she investigated members of her party and publicly clashed with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a high-profile local progressive who endorsed Teare.
In the months before the election, Teare promised to take more action on democratic reforms while Ogg fended off a firestorm of new allegations. Her office baselessly filed criminal charges in thousands of cases, the Houston Chronicle revealed. And recent reports claim she mishandled an investigation into a subversive Texas Republican.
Teare had the backing of a group of Harris County Democratic Party precinct chairs who recently voted to condemn Ogg for inadequately representing party values. In a University of Houston poll released during early voting, over 65 percent of likely Democratic primary voters said they viewed Ogg unfavorably.
Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and state Rep. Gene Wu, a Houston Democrat who endorsed Ogg in 2016, also endorsed Teare before the election.
Teare ran a well-funded campaign, bringing in over 10 times as much money as Ogg in the first half of 2023. In the last leg of fundraising ahead of the race, from Jan. 26 through Feb. 24, billionaire George Soros’ Texas Justice and Public Safety PAC contributed nearly $700,000 to his campaign. The group formerly supported Ogg during her 2016 election.
Ogg, who was backed by prominent Houston democrats, including state Sen. Carol Alvarado and state Rep. Mary Ann Perez, caught up before polls opened and significantly outraised Teare in January.
But with more than $50,000 coming from the local bail bonds industry and major contributions from a Republican mega-donor, she drew ire from local Democrats.
At the Giant Texas Distillery Tuesday night, Ogg thanked her voters and told supporters she had “made some powerful enemies for all the right reasons.”
“I want to tell my fellow Houstonians who I’ve lived with all my 64 years every day in this city and tell you that if doing my job cost me my job, then I leave with my head held high,” Ogg said.
As the next district attorney in Texas’ largest county, Teare will face major challenges, including a mounting criminal case backlog and overcrowding in the state’s biggest county jail. In the run-up to the race, he critiqued Ogg’s action on those issues and other democratic priorities, including bail reform.
Ogg campaigned on promises to reform the county’s cash bail system in 2016, but changed course while in office. In 2019, she opposed a settlement to a lawsuit in which a federal court found that jailing people accused of crimes before trial because they could not afford bail was unconstitutional. And she later opened a probe into a county agency monitoring the progress of bail reform.
Ogg has defended her party loyalty, record on bail and progress on democratic reforms. Throughout the campaign, she emphasized that her office decriminalized most marijuana possession and diverted thousands of minors away from incarceration. In an earlier statement to The Tribune, she accused Teare of “trying to create division in the Democratic party.”
Still, voters sided with Teare, ending the incumbent’s bid for a third term.
Travis County’s incumbent District Attorney Josè Garza also won his race, overcoming a heated challenge from defense attorney Jeremy Sylestine.
Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections
When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?
Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.
What’s on the ballot for the general election?
In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices:
-1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz)
– 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners
– 15 State Senators
– 7 State Board of Education members
– 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court
– 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
– 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals
Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot:
– Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts
– County Courts at Law
– Justices of the Peace
– District Attorneys
– County Attorneys
– Sheriffs
– Constables
– Tax Assessor-Collectors
How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?
You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in: Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth. Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in. Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.
What if I missed the voter registration deadline?
You must be registered to vote in a Texas county by Oct. 7 to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election. You can still register for other elections.
If you’re registered but didn’t update your address by the deadline, you may still be able to vote at your previous voting location or on a limited ballot. (Voters are typically assigned precincts based on where they live. In most major counties, voters can vote anywhere on Election Day, but some counties require you vote within your precinct. If that is the case, you may have to return to your previous precinct. See which counties allow countywide Election Day voting here. You can usually find your precinct listed on your voter registration certificate or on when checking your registration online.)
If you moved from one county to another, you may be able to vote on a ballot limited to the elections you would qualify to vote in at both locations, such as statewide races. However, limited ballots are only available during early voting. Find your county election official here and contact them to ask about or request a limited ballot.
What can I do if I have questions about voting?
You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State’s helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition also has hotlines available for voters who speaker other languages or have accessibility needs.
For help in Spanish, call 888-VE-Y-VOTA or 888-839-8682.
For help in Asian languages, call 888-API-VOTE or 888-274-8683.
For help in Arabic, call 888-YALLA-US or 888-925-5287.
For help in American Sign Language through a video, call 301-818-VOTE or 301-818-8683.
For help from Disability Rights Texas, call 888-796-VOTE or 888-796-8683.
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