HOUSTON - A year after leading Harris County through its worst natural disaster in history, voters chose political newcomer Democrat Lina Hidalgo over 11-year incumbent County Judge Ed Emmett.
"Before the numbers started coming in, my family was in the suite with me, and I told them I'm going to lose," Emmett said.
Monday morning, Emmett made his first public appearance since election night.
"We can't go back and argue about it. She won, I lost. That's politics," Emmett said.
Speaking to the Northwest Forest Republican Women's Club, Emmett says he knew this year would be tough. He ran lots of ads hoping to overcome straight ticket voting. It wasn't enough.
"Our ballot was long, with me buried right in the middle of it," Emmett said. "People really had to find me to vote for me. A lot did, but I still came up short."
Emmett lost by nearly 18,000 votes. Still the centrist Republican earned 80,000 more votes than the top of the GOP ticket. He says that should be a red flag to his party.
"The Republican party has to stand for issues that benefit the people in their daily lives and not try to generate fear," Emmett said.
Emmett says he's proud of the legacy he leaves, including one of the country's finest Emergency Management systems that led the region through multiple storms, saving the Astrodome and a focus on mental health issues in the county.
"That's a legacy that's going to go on, and it's a legacy that's saved lives," Emmett said.
The focus now is on doing his part to help ensure a smooth transition. He's meeting Hidalgo Wednesday. But the question still swirling for supporters is: Will Emmett run for something else?
"Maybe, but that remains to be seen," Emmett said. "I'm not closing any doors at this point."
It's a political answer that may signal Emmett isn't done with politics just yet.