The Supreme Court of Texas has denied a petition that sought to declare Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia’s seat vacant, Houston Public Media reports. The ruling was issued September 9.
The petition argued that Garcia’s 2021 appointment to the Gulf Coast Protection District, a separate local government entity, automatically vacated his seat on commissioners court. The Texas Constitution generally bars an elected officer from holding more than one public office at a time, and accepting a second office can operate as an immediate resignation from the first. The First Court of Appeals ruled in April that the appointment to the protection district was not valid to begin with, and that Garcia could keep his seat.
The case was brought by Richard Vega, a Republican candidate for the Precinct 2 seat in the November election, and Mark Goloby. Houston Public Media reports the two first sued Harris County in 2024.
Precinct 2 does not cover the Lake Houston area. The ruling matters here because it settles the makeup of Commissioners Court ahead of its September 17 vote on the 2026-27 county budget and tax rates, which apply countywide.
