A judge has ordered a redo of the 2022 Texas judicial election between Republican Tami Pierce and Democrat DaSean Jones for the 180th District Court in Harris County. The judge found that over a thousand illegal ballots were cast, exceeding the margin of victory.
Judge David Peeples ruled that the true outcome of the election cannot be determined due to the invalid votes. Pierce contested the race after losing by 449 votes, with Jones filing a motion to dismiss that was deemed frivolous. Peeples found 1,430 invalid votes and declared it unrealistic to determine which candidate received these votes.
Pierce argued that out-of-county residents and incomplete Statement of Residence forms were used to cast illegal votes. The judge confirmed these claims, adding that voters without proper residency information should not have been counted. Additionally, voters who did not meet the voter ID requirement and mail-in ballots lacking signatures and being returned late were also identified.
A date for the redo election has not been set, and Jones was ordered to pay Pierce’s attorney fees. Harris County faced other election challenges, with allegations of illegal conduct disenfranchising lawful voters in another race. Despite these issues, the true outcome of the election was determined.
