HOUSTON (Covering Katy News) — Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo was escorted out of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this week after attempting to enter a restricted area without tickets, triggering a public clash with Rodeo leadership and renewed calls for her resignation.
Hidalgo Claims She Was 'Manhandled' at Houston Rodeo; Officials Tell a Different Story
Hidalgo claimed on social media — in a post she later deleted — that she had been physically shoved and threatened with arrest while being removed from the chutes section during a Megan Maroney concert Tuesday night. She also suggested she had been treated poorly because she is Hispanic and a woman.
Rodeo President and CEO Chris Boleman and Board Chairwoman Pat Mann Phillips pushed back in a joint statement, noting that Hidalgo had already received 21 tickets valued at $9,000 for 2026 Rodeo concerts, and that her office had been warned in advance that the Maroney concert was sold out and no additional wristbands for the chutes section could be provided.
"She did have access to suite tickets that evening and was asked to return to her suite where she and her guests had tickets to the event," Boleman and Phillips wrote. "Our team respectfully addressed the situation, but the interaction became difficult for staff and security. Ultimately when she would not go back to her seats in the suite she was escorted out."
Houston Rodeo Board Revokes Hidalgo's Ex-Officio Director Status
The Rodeo board subsequently voted to revoke Hidalgo's ex-officio director status, a title traditionally extended to area elected officials.
Hidalgo returned to NRG Stadium on Thursday to review video footage of the incident, but said the footage did not confirm her account. She later released video and audio recordings of the interactions.
Texas Lawmakers Call for Hidalgo's Resignation After Rodeo Incident
State Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, condemned Hidalgo's actions, saying on social media that he had "never once thought about barging my way into the chutes seat section."
"Some run to serve, others just want to be served," Oliverson added.
State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, called for Hidalgo's resignation, citing the incident as part of a broader pattern of conduct unbecoming her office — and raising serious concerns about her fitness to lead emergency management operations for the nation's third-largest county.
"I called for Judge Lina Hidalgo's resignation because of her latest bizarre behavior at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and then her totally unfounded attacks on others, spewing nonsensical claims of racial bias as the basis for her personal actions at this years' Rodeo," Bettencourt wrote. "It is only the latest in a long line of incidents."
Bettencourt noted that as county judge, Hidalgo is by state statute the head of the Office of Emergency Management, and argued her conduct raises questions about her ability to manage a major disaster such as a Category 4 or 5 hurricane.
"County residents do not get 21 free tickets valued at $9,000, plus the use of a free suite at the Rodeo, and then get to go on a tirade because they were told NO in advance about more special perks," Bettencourt wrote. "Lina Hidalgo made the decision not to run for re-election, and she should make the decision to resign."
A Pattern of Controversy: Hidalgo's Clashes With Republicans and Fellow Democrats
The Rodeo incident is the latest in a years-long series of public controversies involving Hidalgo that have put her at odds with Republicans and fellow Democrats alike:
- COVID-19 pandemic (2020): Hidalgo clashed with Gov. Greg Abbott over the scope of her emergency powers, ordered the cancellation of that year's Houston Rodeo, and unsuccessfully attempted to release thousands of Harris County jail inmates.
- Constable Galloway memorial: Hidalgo refused to be seated with other elected officials behind the family of slain Harris County Constable Corporal Charles Galloway, instead insisting on standing at the front of the ceremony with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and then-Constable Ted Heap.
- 2023 swearing-in ceremony: Hidalgo arrived late to a swearing-in ceremony for fellow Democratic county officials and delivered an unscripted, emotionally charged speech in which she accused Democratic colleagues of trying to exclude her from the program.
- Groping allegation (May 2023): Hidalgo claimed from the dais that she had been groped inside the commissioners court meeting room but declined to provide further details.
- Clash with Commissioner Garcia (June 2023): Hidalgo erupted in anger at fellow Democrat Commissioner Adrian Garcia over the inclusion of the Harris County District Attorney's Office in a violence interruption program.
- Hospitalization (August 2023): Following two unexplained absences from commissioners court, Hidalgo's office disclosed she had been hospitalized for severe depression and would take a leave of absence.
- Paris trade mission: The commissioners court refused to appropriate taxpayer funds for Hidalgo's trade mission to Paris and declined to provide county security for the trip.
- Tax increase confrontation (August 2025): Hidalgo repeatedly interrupted colleagues and refused to follow parliamentary procedure during a budget dispute over a pilot daycare program. The court amended its rules to allow censure of members who fail to maintain proper decorum.
- Censure (August 2025): Commissioners voted 3-1 to censure Hidalgo for failure to maintain proper decorum and for using profane language in the presence of a 7-year-old child at the June 26, 2025, meeting. Commissioner Rodney Ellis, D-Pct. 1, was the lone dissenting vote.
- 2026 Democratic primary: Hidalgo directed public criticism at former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, one of three Democrats who sought to succeed her, comparing Parker unfavorably to Houston Mayor John Whitmire.
What's Next: Harris County Judge Race Heads to Democratic Primary Runoff
Hidalgo announced she would not seek a third term. The Democratic primary for county judge will proceed to a runoff between Parker and former Houston City Council Member Letitia Plummer.
The Houston Rodeo is a nonprofit organization that plans to award approximately $30 million in scholarships and grants to Texas students in 2026.
Who we are: Covering Katy News is independently owned and operated by professional journalists with more than 50 years of combined experience. Unlike many other local media outlets, we do not accept special purpose district funding — such as from MUDs, drainage districts or other taxing entities — nor do we accept funding from any government source, whether municipal, county, state or federal. We are self-sustaining — no outside investors — supported entirely by local advertisers. Our owner and publisher, Dennis Spellman, and his staff live locally, so we understand local issues. Since 2022, Spellman has also served county residents in a communications role for Fort Bend County Pct. 3. Since our founding in 2011, our editorial decisions have been made independently — and that will never change.