Texas sues Harris County over voter ad targeting

The Texas Attorney General’s Office filed suit against Hudspeth and Nunez, alleging that Harris County used Facebook and Instagram advertising tools to direct its “Plan. Check. Vote!” campaign toward Black, Asian and Latino audiences while excluding other groups. The ads urged residents to prepare to vote ahead of the November 3 general election.

The state argues that choosing audiences by race or ethnicity exceeded the county’s authority and violated the Texas Constitution’s equal-rights protections. The lawsuit cites interest categories such as Black history, Hispanic cooking and Latin music. It estimates that the county spent $43,429 on the ads in the past 30 days.

Texas is asking a judge to order the ads deactivated or to remove their racial and ethnic targeting, and to bar similar practices through temporary and permanent injunctions. Early voting was scheduled to end October 30. Attorney General Ken Paxton recused himself because he is a Republican candidate in the Senate race against Democrat James Talarico.

The Harris County Clerk’s Office had not provided a response. The county attorney’s office said it was examining the case and characterized it as a political distraction. U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee criticized the suit, saying the ads simply directed residents to voting information and accusing Paxton of seeking to discourage turnout.

Texas lawsuit challenges county’s voter outreach before Election Day

Texas is asking a court to halt Harris County voter-awareness ads that encouraged residents to make a voting plan, claiming the county violated the state constitution by tailoring audiences to racial and ethnic groups. The case targets Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth and communications director Irene Nunez, and seeks an immediate order to remove or alter the targeting.

The timing is central to the stakes: early voting was due to end October 30, just ahead of the November 3 election. The state’s filing says the ads reached people based on interests including Black history, Hispanic cooking and Latin music, and estimates $43,429 was spent over 30 days. County lawyers said they were examining the suit and called it a political distraction.

U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee condemned the case, arguing the ads merely told neighbors when and where to find voting information. Attorney General Ken Paxton recused himself because he is running as a Republican against Democrat James Talarico for Senate. The lawsuit’s stated goal is equal access to election information, but its requested restrictions would constrain a county’s use of targeted outreach as voting concludes.

Texas challenges race-based targeting in Harris County voter ads

Texas is challenging Harris County’s use of race and ethnicity to select audiences for publicly funded voter-awareness ads. The Attorney General’s Office says the county’s Facebook and Instagram campaign targeted Black, Asian and Latino groups but not other demographics, and argues that this exceeded the county’s authority and violated the Texas Constitution.

The filing lists audience interests such as Black history, Hispanic cooking and Latin music, and puts spending on the ads at $43,429 over 30 days. The state asks a judge to require the ads to be turned off or stripped of those targeting criteria, and to prohibit similar practices. Those are the legal steps the state says are needed to ensure voters are informed without unequal treatment based on race.

Early voting was set to end October 30, with Election Day on November 3. Paxton recused himself because he is a candidate in the Senate contest against Democrat James Talarico. Menefee criticized the lawsuit as an effort to suppress voter participation, while county lawyers said they were examining the case and called it a political distraction. The dispute puts equal treatment in public communications against arguments for targeted voter outreach.