HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Republican Alexandra del Moral Mealer announced late Thursday night she was dropping her lawsuit contesting election results in Harris County.
Mealer lost her bid for Harris County judge to incumbent Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat, back in the November midterm election.
In a statement from her lawyer on her behalf, Mealer said she didn't file the lawsuit to relitigate the race, but rather to ensure the Texas Election Code was followed.
"I sought to uncover all the data and records I could that relate to the November 2022 election. Because my efforts have been exhausted, I am now nonsuiting my claims," she said.
Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee in a statement called her election challenge a "waste of time in resources."
Mealer lost the election by around 18,000 votes. She said she intends to advocate for changes to the state's election code to create more transparency for voters.
Read Mealer's full statement:
"Public election records and the data supporting those records should be just that – public. Unfortunately, in Harris County, they are not. Whatever names they choose to call me, to expect and demand an election to comply with the requirements of the Texas Election Code surely cannot be called election denying. My goal in filing an election contest was not to relitigate my race, but rather to make sure future races are fair to all voters and candidates. To this end, I sought to uncover all the data and records I could that relate to the November 2022 election. Because my efforts have been exhausted, I am now nonsuiting my claims. Even with the County stonewalling my efforts and restricting my access to information– I found systematic and widespread violations of the Texas Election Code.
"In the coming months, I will be advocating for changes to the Texas Election Code to ensure voters have access to the same data about county elections as the bureaucrats who run them. When government tries to keep secrets, it is usually to cover up incompetence and mistakes – which is what happened in the November 2022 election."
Read Menefee's full statement:
“I’m glad Mrs. Mealer finally realized what a waste of time and resources it was to litigate this case. She didn’t win the election and she wasn’t going to win the election contest, yet she insisted on continuing to spread conspiracy theories in an attempt to overturn the will of the voters. It’s time for the other losing Republican candidates to drop their lawsuits as well.
"I look forward to putting this behind us, and focusing on moving the county forward. With Early Voting just weeks away, I’m committed to supporting the voters of Harris County and doing my part to ensure a fair election.”