Fort Bend judge race pits interim leader against commissioner
A Texas Southern University poll shows Democrat Dexter McCoy leading Republican Daniel Wong by nine points amid legal disputes over the seat.
By Alexei Brooks ·
Fort Bend County voters will select a new judge on Tuesday, a decision that arrives after a year marked by legal battles and administrative instability. The contest features Republican Daniel Wong, the current interim county judge, and Democratic Commissioner Dexter McCoy. The outcome determines who controls the county budget and oversees operations in one of the nation's fastest growing regions.
Wong assumed the role on April 10 following the felony money laundering conviction of former Judge KP George in March. His arrival at the top of the county government was abrupt. Wong, a former Sugar Land city council member and CEO of an engineering firm, described the transition as sudden. “I got thrown in this job,” Wong said. “I didn’t even know what happened. April 10, I got thrown in this job.”
Wong stated he spent his first months interviewing staff across the county’s 80 departments to understand the organization. He approaches the position with a business executive mindset, focusing on financial discipline. “Since day one, I look at the balance sheet as any businessman,” Wong said. “Good news, Fort Bend County has money. Bad news, Fort Bend County wastes a lot of money.”
His campaign has emphasized a proposal for a tax rate reduction that passed commissioners court for the 2027 fiscal year. Wong intends to continue this approach, aiming to act as a chief executive officer for the county to improve resident quality of life through responsible spending.
McCoy, who has served as a county commissioner since 2023, represents districts including parts of Richmond, Sugar Land and Mission Bend. Before local office, he served as an aide to the U.S. Secretary of Education during the Obama administration. He cites this federal background as a distinct advantage in securing grants and managing federal rules for the county.
“I’m the only candidate in this race who has both federal and local experience understanding how federal rule-making and grant-making works to be able to serve in this role, to bring home money back to Fort Bend County,” McCoy said. He plans to focus on economic development to reduce the tax burden on residential homeowners, who account for over 70% of county tax revenue.
McCoy has also proposed a full audit of county operations to restore transparency. This proposal follows a summer dispute in which McCoy and Democratic Commissioner Grady Prestage stopped attending meetings. They cited legal guidance from the county attorney's office after a civil lawsuit regarding Wong's appointment was dismissed. Wong continues to preside over the court.
McCoy said he intends to empower the county attorney's office to investigate recent events and mitigate legal risks. “I full-well plan to empower our county attorney's office to initiate a full and thorough investigation into exactly what has transpired in the last few months, and to make that available to the public,” McCoy said.
A poll conducted in October by Texas Southern University placed McCoy ahead of Wong by nine points. The survey found that 11% of voters remained undecided. The race has faced recent controversy after Wong's campaign shared an AI-generated video on social media featuring Black voters supporting him. McCoy called the video “racist, vile, and wrong.” Wong's campaign stated it did not produce the clip, and the video has since been removed from social media platforms.
