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UH Hobby School survey on Harris County's biggest challenges, approval of elected officials

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Published  July 23, 2025 2:52pm CDT
Houston
FOX 26 Houston
Texas redistricting, Houston homeless crackdown | FULL

Texas redistricting, Houston homeless crackdown | FULL

A look at the full episode of What's Your Point on July 20, 2025. The What's Your Point panel discusses the upcoming Texas special session, including redistricting, THC restrictions and disaster preparations. Then, they discuss a crackdown on the homeless in Houston and a call to raise taxes in Harris County to support child care programs.

The Brief

    • A new survey by UH's Hobby School gauges Harris County voters' opinion on the direction of the county and their approval of local leaders.
    • According to the survey, more than half of voters think things are going in the wrong direction for the county.
    • Crime was ranked by voters as their biggest concern.

HOUSTON - A new survey shows more than half of Harris County voters think things are going in the wrong direction in the county.

The survey by the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs asked registered voters in the county their opinions on their biggest concerns and how elected officials are doing, among other key issues.

Harris County voters’ concerns

By the numbers:

According to the survey:

  • 57% of voters think things are going in the wrong direction for the county; 43% think they are going in the right direction.
  • 45% said crime is one of the top three problems facing the county today, followed by streets and roads in bad condition (39%) and flooding (37%).
  • Streets in bad condition (45%), a lack of sidewalks or poor quality sidewalks (40%) and home and car break-ins (37%) are the top factors residents believe have a major negative impact on the quality of life in their neighborhood.

How are elected officials doing?

The survey asked voters whether they approve or disapprove of the job county election officials are doing.

  • Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez had 55% in favor, 22% who disapproved and 23% who didn’t know.
  • Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo had 45% of respondents who approved, 41% who disapproved and 14% who didn't know.
  • Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare had 35% approving of the job he’s doing, 23% disapproving and 42% who were unsure.

Budget deficit, elections and more

Dig deeper:

The survey asked voters their opinions on other topics, like how to overcome the county’s budget deficit, their approval of other candidates for county offices and their confidence in a fair and accurate election. Click here for the full report.

The Source: The information in this article comes from the Harris County 2025 report conducted by the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs.

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