Republican Mike Wolfe is running for Harris County Clerk, challenging Democratic incumbent Teneshia Hudspeth in the Nov. 3 general election. The county clerk's office handles elections, property records and vital statistics for Harris County residents, including those in the Clear Lake area.

Wolfe, a Harris County native, said he is running "to offer experienced conservative leadership, restore public trust, boost efficiency, and modernize the office's digital systems, elections, records, and operations." He described his reforms as focused on "administration — not ideology."

Wolfe called himself "a Reagan-Trump conservative," saying he has "met and spoken with" both Ronald Reagan and President Donald Trump and calling them "my heroes." Their shared advice to "never give up and to stay the course" is the best he has received, he said.

Two men in suits stand in front of American flags, smiling and giving thumbs-up gestures.

His father, Bob Wolfe, is the Harris County justice of the peace for Precinct 5, Place 2.

This profile is based on Wolfe's questionnaire responses and platform.

Candidate information

  • Party: Republican
  • Office sought: Harris County Clerk
  • Election: Texas general election, Nov. 3, 2026
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in political science with a focus on public administration, University of St. Thomas, Houston; master's certificate in health administration, Houston Christian University (formerly Houston Baptist University); graduate of Houston Christian High School (formerly Northwest Academy)
  • Family: Brother Jeff. He is a sixth-generation Texan.

Experience and public service

Wolfe served two six-year terms as a countywide at-large trustee on the Harris County Department of Education Board of Trustees, first elected in 2006 and again in 2014. He left office in 2020.

He worked as assistant director of government affairs for former Harris County District Clerk Chris Daniel and as a child support officer for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office. Earlier in his career, he served as a juvenile supervision officer and a high school social studies teacher.

Asked what sets him apart, Wolfe said he is "a conservative Republican who will diligently work to serve all people" and will "work to keep the size and scope of the office limited to what is required."

On the issues

Records and digital services: Wolfe said he plans to modernize real property search tools, expand online filing systems and electronic certified copy options, and publish quarterly performance metrics including processing times and backlog data. He also called for an optional appointment scheduling system while preserving walk-in access and for standardizing procedures at annex offices with published wait-time information.

Wolfe said the records and digital upgrades would be funded through the existing budget.

Election administration: Wolfe's platform calls for securing election locations early to allow accessibility and risk assessments, reviewing historical turnout data to allocate supplies, and beginning recruitment of election judges and poll workers ahead of schedule. He said he would maintain a database of experienced election workers and coordinate with the County Attorney's Office for rapid response support on Election Day.

Court support: Wolfe proposed holding quarterly stakeholder meetings with attorneys, publishing filing acceptance and rejection metrics, and providing specialized customer service training for probate and guardianship matters.

Community outreach: Wolfe said he would hold quarterly public forums on election readiness and court procedures, provide civic outreach and public records education sessions, and publish service performance benchmarks.