Ed Gonzalez

This page was last updated during the official's most recent election or appointment. Please contact us with any updates.

Ed Gonzalez

Democratic Party

Harris County Sheriff

Tenure

2017 - Present

Term ends

2028

Years in position

8

Prior offices

Houston City Council District H

---

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Houston, Downtown, 2000

Graduate

University of St. Thomas, 2007

Personal

Birthplace

Houston, Texas

Profession

County sheriff

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Ed Gonzalez (Democratic Party) is the Harris County Sheriff in Texas. He assumed office in 2017. His current term ends on December 31, 2028.

Gonzalez (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Harris County Sheriff in Texas. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Gonzalez represented District H on the Houston City Council. He was first elected to the council in 2009, and served until January 2016. He served as the vice mayor pro tempore of Houston from 2010 to 2012 and as mayor pro tempore of Houston from 2012 to 2016.

Biography

Ed Gonzalez was born in Houston, Texas. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston Downtown in 2000 and a master's degree from the University of St. Thomas in 2007. His professional experience includes working as the county sheriff and with the Houston Police Department for 18 years. Gonzalez has served as chair of the Houston City Council's Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee, as a board member of the Alzheimer's Association - Gulf Coast, as an ex officio member of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Go Tejano Committee, and with the Houston Area Women's Center and Crime Stoppers.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2024)

General election

General election for Harris County Sheriff

Incumbent Ed Gonzalez defeated Mike Knox in the general election for Harris County Sheriff on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ed Gonzalez (D)	53.2	789,828
		Mike Knox (R)	46.8	693,524

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,483,352
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Harris County Sheriff

Incumbent Ed Gonzalez defeated Dana Wolfe, Vergil Rochelle Ratliff, and Joe Inocencio in the Democratic primary for Harris County Sheriff on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ed Gonzalez	67.0	108,718
	Submit photo	Dana Wolfe	16.3	26,384
		Vergil Rochelle Ratliff	12.2	19,760
		Joe Inocencio	4.5	7,340

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 162,202
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Harris County Sheriff

Mike Knox defeated Joe Danna, Glenn Cowan, and Paul Day in the Republican primary for Harris County Sheriff on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Knox	56.4	95,671
		Joe Danna	17.2	29,179
		Glenn Cowan	16.9	28,713
		Paul Day	9.5	16,052

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 169,615
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Gonzalez in this election.

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2020)

General election

General election for Harris County Sheriff

Incumbent Ed Gonzalez defeated Joe Danna in the general election for Harris County Sheriff on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ed Gonzalez (D)	57.5	903,736
		Joe Danna (R)	42.5	668,997

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,572,733
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Harris County Sheriff

Joe Danna defeated Paul Day in the Republican primary runoff for Harris County Sheriff on July 14, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joe Danna	51.3	33,118
		Paul Day	48.7	31,412

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 64,530
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Harris County Sheriff

Incumbent Ed Gonzalez defeated Jerome Moore and Harry Zamora in the Democratic primary for Harris County Sheriff on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ed Gonzalez	72.1	194,478
		Jerome Moore	19.0	51,139
	Submit photo	Harry Zamora	8.9	23,964

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 269,581
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Harris County Sheriff

Joe Danna and Paul Day advanced to a runoff. They defeated Randy Rush in the Republican primary for Harris County Sheriff on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joe Danna	48.6	79,332
✔		Paul Day	29.0	47,317
	Submit photo	Randy Rush	22.5	36,740

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 163,389
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To view Gonzalez's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

2016

See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2016)

Harris County held elections for county commission, justices of the peace, constables, district attorney, county attorney, sheriff, county tax assessor-collector, and the Harris County Department of Education Board of Trustees in 2016. The general election was held on November 8, 2016. A primary election was held on March 1, 2016, and a primary runoff took place on May 24, 2016. The filing deadline for those wishing to run in this election was December 14, 2015. Ed Gonzalez (D) defeated incumbent Ron Hickman (R) in the Harris County sheriff general election.

Harris County Sheriff, General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Ed Gonzalez	52.84%	680,134
	Republican	Ron Hickman Incumbent	47.16%	607,143
Total Votes				1,287,277
Source: Harris County Elections, "2016 General Election Official Results," November 16, 2016

Harris County Sheriff, Democratic Primary Runoff, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Ed Gonzalez	56.58%	16,078
Jerome Moore	43.42%	12,337
Total Votes		28,415
Source: Harris County Elections, "2016 Democratic Primary Runoff Results," May 31, 2016

Harris County Sheriff, Democratic Primary, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Ed Gonzalez	43.51%	72,401
Jerome Moore	29.78%	49,555
Theodore Perez	14.39%	23,940
Jeff Stauber	12.33%	20,521
Total Votes		166,417
Source: Harris County Elections, "2016 Democratic Primary Results," March 8, 2016

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Ed Gonzalez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Ed Gonzalez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gonzalez's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez is working every day to keep Harris County seniors, families and children safe. He is advancing reforms to our criminal justice system to ensure that everyone is treated equally under the law.

Ed earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Houston Downtown and went on to serve 18 years with the Houston Police Department. He started out as a civilian employee, then became a police officer and rose to the rank of Sergeant, leading homicide investigations and serving on the elite hostage negotiation team.

Ed was elected to the Houston City Council in 2009, serving three terms as the representative for District H. He was elected by his peers in 2010 to serve as Vice Mayor Pro-Tem and was appointed Mayor Pro-Tem in 2012 by Mayor Annise Parker.

As chair of City Council's Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee, Ed broke new ground with initiatives to protect vulnerable seniors from elder abuse, expand the fight against human trafficking, reduce the public safety risks of stray animals, protect cyclists and pedestrians on city streets and protect online buyers and sellers from predators.

Ed was elected Sheriff of Harris County, Texas on November 8, 2016.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Sheriff Ed Gonzalez is working every day to keep Harris County seniors, families and children safe.
• Sheriff Ed Gonzalez is advancing reforms to our criminal justice system to ensure that everyone is treated equally under the law.
• Sheriff Ed Gonzalez is reforming the office to make it more efficient by controlling costs and eliminating waste.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public safety, criminal justice reform, good governance grounded in research and data.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

Public safety is a core responsibility of government at every level. Being tough on crime is just the beginning of this job.

Sheriff ed Gonzalez is working hard to keep us safe in every crisis. Whether it is a pandemic, a flood, a chemical fire, or other safety crisis, Sheriff Gonzalez is on the job protecting Harris County.

One of the first law enforcement officials to sound the alarm on COVID-19:
Gonzalez fought for compassionate release of medically vulnerable, non-violent inmates deemed not to pose a threat to the community. Gonzalez knew that an outbreak in our jails could overwhelm local hospitals.

A hands-on Sheriff who won't stop at anything to save a life:
During Hurricane Harvey, Tropical Storm Imelda and other storms, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez personally assisted in rescues and worked hand-in-hand
with local officials, law enforcement and other first responders to coordinate rescue operations.

A Sheriff every community can trust:

Sheriff Gonzalez knows racism and discrimination have no place in any part of our county government. That is why he is revamping anti-racism and anti-discrimination training programs using the best models-helping to bridge gaps between our peace officers and the communities they serve.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a card-carrying, proud, unyielding optimist.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Ed was elected Sheriff of Harris County, Texas on November 8, 2016. His first term, where he has continued to prioritize public safety and reform. Sheriff Gonzalez:

• Supported efforts at responsible bail reform and made significant progress in implementing the new rules in a way that protects the public and preserves the constitutional rights of people who have been arrested but not convicted of crimes

• Set the standard for innovation and collaboration regarding the care and response to the mentally ill - making a significant positive impact on the treatment and response to individuals with serious mental illness, developmental disabilities, neurocognitive disorders and substance abuse

• Dedicated new resources to help incarcerated military veterans

• Expanded gun surrender programs and increased our focus on domestic violence

• Made road safety and decreasing road fatalities a priority, including convening a new, multi-agency task force charged with targeting law enforcement initiatives in areas with a high frequency of speeding or crashes

• Brought the county jail into compliance with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and moved swiftly and transparently to deal with compliance issues

• Reduced overtime expenses and save tax dollars that could be redirected to other vital programs serving the public

• Led heroic rescue and recovery efforts to keep people safe during Hurricane Harvey and other disasters

What legacy would you like to leave?

I am always inspired by the resilience of the human spirit, even in the face of unspeakable tragedy. I see this in my line of work time and time again. My hope is that we will move forward as a community with more compassion and more respect for each other as human beings.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes. As the current Sheriff, Ed has been a proven, innovative police executive. He eliminated a budget deficit and freed up more funds for public safety. When he took over, the jail was under a federal consent decree; they successfully transitioned and are no longer under the court's review. He has taken a sensible approach to policing, striking a balance between maintaining strong public safety and finding opportunities to better assist those suffering with mental illness and addiction.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Sheriff Gonzalez is working to build a Sheriff's Office that provides public safety for all residents of Harris County-rich, poor, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, documented, undocumented, straight, LGBTQ+. The office will do so in a manner that is research-driven and treats everyone fairly and with respect. Sheriff deputies will arrest and jail those who commit crimes but work to divert homeless, mentally ill and addicted persons to programs that can help with their issues.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2024 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Harris County Sheriff

Website

Facebook

Instagram