A bit of a surprise, at least to me.
Erica Lee Carter
Former Congressman Erica Lee Carter announced Wednesday that she will not be running for Harris County Judge after previously signaling interest in the seat.
Back in July, Carter had stated over social media that she would consider becoming a candidate if current County Judge Lina Hidalgo were to not seek reelection. However, after Hidalgo said in a late Monday interview with ABC 13 that she would not run for another term, Carter announced her withdrawal from the race.
“At this moment, what matters most is that some of us are willing to put aside ambition, fame or the pursuit of power,” Carter said in a press release. “For the greater good of our communities, our values, our party and our democracy. That is what I choose to do.”
[…]
Citing her mother in the Wednesday announcement, Carter said her decision was driven by the need for unity among the Democratic party, especially as the country faces “a rising tide of fascism, racism, misinformation, voter suppression, and the erosion of democratic norms.”
Despite not running for a political seat in the 2026 Democratic primary, she said will continue to advocate for “progressive causes, fair wages, safe neighborhoods, affordable housing, healthy families, and better schools.”
See here and here for the background. We can speculate about what the “real” reason is for her departure, but I’m going to take her at her word. Running for office is hard and exhausting, and primaries are generally no fun. If she thinks that Annise Parker and Letitia Plummer are both satisfactory candidates, then her own candidacy is more optional than necessary. I think we can all respect that.