RICHMOND, Texas (Covering Katy News) — A lawsuit filed in Fort Bend County seeks to disqualify the front-runner in the Democratic primary runoff for Precinct 4 county commissioner, alleging she did not meet the residency requirements to appear on the ballot.
Nicole Roberts, who finished third in the March 3 primary, filed suit against the Fort Bend County Democratic Party and its chair, Dr. Jennifer Cantu, seeking to remove Brittanye Morris from the May 26 runoff. The seven-candidate field finished as follows:
- Brittanye Lashay Morris — 3,205 votes (18.84%)
- April L. Jones — 2,999 votes (17.63%)
- Nicole Roberts — 2,789 votes (16.40%)
- Maggie Salomon — 2,439 votes (14.34%)
- Nabil Shike — 2,381 votes (14.00%)
- Robert Nnake — 1,885 votes (11.08%)
- Haroon Mughal — 1,310 votes (7.70%)
On March 10, Roberts obtained a temporary restraining order blocking the canvassing — the official tallying and certification — of the primary results. Two days later, Associate Judge James Stevens in the 458th District Court dismissed the order.
The residency argument
Texas law requires candidates for precinct office to establish residency in their precinct six months before the filing deadline. The candidate filing deadline for this race was Dec. 8, 2025, making the residency cutoff June 8, 2025.
However, Fort Bend County Commissioners Court adopted new precinct boundary maps effective Jan. 1, 2026. Under Texas law, when precinct boundaries change, a candidate must be a resident of the precinct on the filing deadline date — Dec. 8, 2025 — and must have lived continuously in the county for the six months immediately preceding that date.
Roberts contends Morris did not meet that standard.
"Brittanye Morris is not eligible to be a candidate for County Commissioner in Fort Bend County," Roberts said in her petition.
Roberts noted that Morris previously served as a judge on the 333rd District Court in Harris County, with her term running through Dec. 31, 2024. After her judicial term ended, Morris registered to vote in Fort Bend County on Jan. 30, 2025, listing 12323 Ashford Hollow Drive in Richmond as her address. Roberts noted in her petition that the same address was also listed on the voter registration of another Precinct 4 candidate, Nabil Shike. The home is owned by Najma Aijaz, and three members of the Aijaz family are also registered to vote there.
Roberts argues that address was never in Precinct 4 — it falls in Precinct 3 both before and after the boundary redraw — and that Morris's actual residence is at 2124 B Harold St. in Houston.
Morris later re-registered at a different address within Precinct 4 on Jan. 1, 2026 — nearly four weeks after the Dec. 8 filing deadline.
Roberts also pointed to several public documents she says confirm Morris is not a Fort Bend County resident: her candidate application lists a Houston P.O. box as her mailing address, her driver's license lists a Houston address, her vehicle is registered in Harris County, and she has not voted in a recent Fort Bend County election.
Morris responds
Morris denied the allegations and called the lawsuit without merit.
"Recent residency allegations raised by a candidate who did not qualify for the runoff are entirely unfounded," Morris said in a statement. "These claims appear to be the product of disappointment rather than fact."
Morris said the attempt to obtain the TRO "was promptly vacated once the court was informed of the facts and numerous legal deficiencies."
The legal path forward
Cantu argued in her motion that blocking the canvassing was unnecessary because Roberts could still pursue her case in court regardless of the outcome.
The lawsuit remains active. Roberts is still seeking a court ruling that would formally declare Morris ineligible and place Roberts in the runoff in her place. A judge would need to rule before ballots are printed for the May 26 runoff.
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