RICHMOND, Texas (Covering Katy News) – Voters in Fort Bend County decided five primary runoff races Tuesday, setting the stage for November general election matchups across the county.
Democrats
Fort Bend County Commissioner Dexter McCoy scored the most lopsided Democratic victory of the night, defeating Rachelle Carter in the runoff for Fort Bend County Judge with 74.43% of the vote, according to unofficial returns. McCoy will face interim County Judge Daniel Wong, the Republican nominee, in November.
Speaking to supporters at his election night watch party in Sugar Land Town Square, McCoy wasted no time turning his attention to the general election. "Well today the people of Fort Bend County made their voices heard, and they decided they want something different," McCoy told supporters.
McCoy also took direct aim at Wong.
"My right wing judge from Galveston County swooped into Fort Bend County and appointed my GOP opponent to the very seat that he had not won," McCoy said. He accused Wong of appointing "the most MAGA people imaginable" to county leadership positions and criticized Wong's recent meeting with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The Democratic runoff for Fort Bend County Clerk was the closest countywide race of the evening. Sonya Jones edged Maria Jackson by just 576 votes — 51.02% to 48.98% — out of 28,262 cast, according to unofficial returns. Jones will advance to face Republican Tamara McFarlane in the fall.
In the Democratic race for Fort Bend County Treasurer, Jeffrey L. Boney defeated Sara Khan with 64.53% of the vote in unofficial returns. Boney will face Republican incumbent Bill Rickert in November.
In the Democratic runoff for Precinct 4 County Commissioner, April L. Jones defeated Brittanye Lashay Morris by just 136 votes — 51.10% to 48.90% — out of 6,196 cast, according to unofficial returns. Jones will face Republican Ken Mathews in the November general election. Jones' race had been marked by months of legal battles over Morris's eligibility due to a residency challenge that reached the Texas Supreme Court before ultimately allowing Morris to remain on the ballot.
Republicans
In the only Republican runoff in Fort Bend County, Ken Mathews defeated Adam Schoof with 63.42% of the vote in unofficial returns in the race for Precinct 4 County Commissioner. Mathews seeks to replace outgoing Commissioner Dexter McCoy on Commissioners Court if he wins the November general election.
Mathews's path to victory was not without controversy. Days before the election, his attorney filed a million-dollar lawsuit against both Katy Christian Magazine and Republican County Clerk nominee Tamara McFarlane, alleging defamation and coordinated reputational attacks.
The lawsuit against Katy Christian Magazine stemmed from a May 15 article published by the magazine titled "Transparency Questions Surround Ken Mathews Ahead of Precinct 4 Runoff," as well as a mass text blast sent to Fort Bend County voters that called Mathews a "Fake Republican" and a "Democratic plant."
Attorney Karan Joshi of Orange Law Firm, who filed the suit, noted that the magazine had publicly endorsed Schoof while simultaneously publishing what he characterized as a targeted hit piece against Mathews.
A separate cease and desist letter was sent to McFarlane over social media posts allegedly claiming Mathews was "working with the Fort Bend Democrats" and making other statements his attorney said constituted defamation per se. Mathews won the runoff despite the eleventh-hour attacks.
Neither Katy Christian Magazine nor McFarlane responded to Covering Katy's request for comment on the legal actions by Mathews. The request for comment was made on May 23, 2026, four days ago.
The Fort Bend Independent was the fist news organization to report on the suit. Read the story here.
Voting System Disruption
Tuesday's election was not without controversy. Fort Bend County officials said a voting system disruption during the day was caused by human error after the wrong election file was uploaded into the voter check-in system. Despite the interruption, election officials said the integrity of the voting process was not compromised.
Read more about the voting disruptions here.
All election results are unofficial pending canvass.
