Texas Attorney General Sues Harris County Over Voter Ads

The Office of the Texas Attorney General filed a lawsuit on Thursday against Harris County, County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth, and Director of Communications Irene Nunez. The suit alleges that the county's "Plan, Check, Vote!" campaign used racially discriminatory social media advertisements on Facebook and Instagram to target African-American, Asian, and Latino groups while excluding other demographics.

According to the lawsuit, the county spent over $40,000 on these targeted ads using interest tags. The Attorney General's office claims this practice violated state law and exceeded the clerk's authority. Attorney General Ken Paxton recused himself from the case because he is currently running for the U.S. Senate against Democrat James Talarico.

U.S. Congressman Christian Menefee criticized the timing of the legal action, which was filed one day before the end of early voting. Menefee characterized the lawsuit as a political tactic to maintain Republican control in Texas and suppress diverse voters. The Harris County Clerk's office has not yet responded to requests for comment.