Webster, Seabrook and Nassau Bay voters will choose who runs their elections when Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth faces Republican challenger Mike Wolfe on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot.

The county clerk oversees voting operations, maintains property and vital records and supports county-level courts, according to the Houston Chronicle. The office manages more than 10,000 pieces of voting equipment deployed to more than 600 polling locations across Harris County, according to KPRC.

Early voting runs Monday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Oct. 30. The deadline to register is Monday, Oct. 5, and the deadline to apply for a mail ballot is Friday, Oct. 23. Polls on Election Day are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Registered voters can cast a ballot at any polling location.

The incumbent

Hudspeth, a Democrat, is the first Black woman elected Harris County clerk. She won a special election in 2020 after former Clerk Diane Trautman resigned, then won a full term in 2022. Before that, she spent 15 years working in the clerk's office, rising to chief deputy clerk.

Her office absorbed election duties previously handled by the now-defunct elections administrator's office, which the Texas Legislature abolished in 2023.

In August, Hudspeth declined a salary increase that would have raised her pay from roughly $179,000 to $305,000, becoming the only Harris County elected official to reject the raise. In a Monday, Aug. 24, statement reported by Houston Public Media, she said the increase came without additional funding and would have to be absorbed within the clerk's existing budget.

In a Tuesday, Sept. 15 interview with KPRC about pre-election equipment testing, Hudspeth said, "There is nothing to hide. Transparency is at the top of the list for me."

The challenger

Wolfe, a Republican, spent 12 years on the Harris County Department of Education Board of Trustees. He also worked as an Attorney General child support officer and a District Clerk government affairs specialist, according to Community Impact. The Houston Chronicle reported he previously worked for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and former District Clerk Chris Daniel.

In a Houston Chronicle candidate questionnaire published in January 2026, Wolfe said his first-year priorities would focus on "building trust, enhancing efficiency and modernizing operations across the office's core responsibilities."

Wolfe won the March 3 Republican primary over Lynda Sanchez by fewer than two percentage points, according to official election results.

How to vote

Sample ballots are available at HarrisVotes.com. Voters can also call the Harris County Elections Department at 713-755-6965.