Israel Garcia Jr.

This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Israel Garcia Jr.

Democratic Party

Prior offices

Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1

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Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Texas, Austin, 1988

Law

Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, 1991

Personal

Birthplace

Austin, Texas

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Attorney

Contact

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Israel Garcia Jr. (Democratic Party) was a judge for Precinct 5 Place 1 of the Harris County Justices of the Peace in Texas. He assumed office on January 1, 2021. He left office on December 31, 2024.

Garcia (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for the Precinct 5 Place 1 judge of the Harris County Justices of the Peace in Texas. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Garcia earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1988 and a law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. His career experience includes working as an attorney and counselor at law in private practice.

Garcia has been affiliated with the following organizations:

• Texas Trial Lawyers Association
• The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council 402, Member and Legal Advisor
• The University of Texas at Austin, Texas
• Texas-Exes, Life Member
• Harris County Democratic Lawyers Association (HCDLA)
• Southwest Democrats
• Bellaire/Braeswood Democrats
• West Houston Democrats
• Spring Branch Democrats
• Texas Coalition of Black Democrats
• Harris County Tejano Democrats
• Meyerland Area Democrats Club
• Katy Area Democrats
• Diverse Alief Democrats
• Braes Oaks Democrats
• Cy-Fair Area Democratic Club

Elections

2024

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

General election

General election for Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1

James Lombardino defeated incumbent Israel Garcia Jr. in the general election for Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	James Lombardino (R)	51.5	203,285
		Israel Garcia Jr. (D)	48.5	191,493

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 394,778
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1

Incumbent Israel Garcia Jr. advanced from the Democratic primary for Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Israel Garcia Jr.	100.0	29,732

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 29,732
= 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.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1

James Lombardino defeated Arlene Hecht in the Republican primary for Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	James Lombardino	70.7	35,130
	Submit photo	Arlene Hecht	29.3	14,580

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 49,710
= 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.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Garcia in this election.

2020

Note: After the filing deadline for this election, Eman Afshar's application was declared to be invalid. Because Afshar was disqualified from the race after December 10, 2019, his name remained on the ballot, but votes cast for him did not count. Once his votes were disregarded, Israel Garcia received more than a majority of votes cast in the Democratic primary, which allowed him to advance to the general election without a primary runoff.

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

General election

General election for Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1

Israel Garcia Jr. defeated incumbent Russ Ridgway in the general election for Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Israel Garcia Jr. (D)	51.4	214,542
	Submit photo	Russ Ridgway (R)	48.6	202,592

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 417,134
= 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 Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1

Incumbent Russ Ridgway defeated Mike Wolfe in the Republican primary runoff for Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1 on July 14, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Russ Ridgway	65.8	13,367
		Mike Wolfe	34.2	6,938

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 20,305
= 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 Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1

Israel Garcia Jr. defeated Roel Garcia and Eman Afshar in the Democratic primary for Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Israel Garcia Jr.	48.1	26,821
	Submit photo	Roel Garcia	30.5	16,981
	Submit photo	Eman Afshar	21.4	11,938

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 55,740
= 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 Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1

Mike Wolfe and incumbent Russ Ridgway advanced to a runoff. They defeated Adrianna Higginbotham in the Republican primary for Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Wolfe	43.0	21,390
✔	Submit photo	Russ Ridgway	30.1	14,947
		Adrianna Higginbotham	26.9	13,354

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 49,691
= 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.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Israel Garcia Jr. did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Israel Garcia Jr. completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Garcia'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.

I have been in private practice as an Attorney since getting licensed on May 07, 1993. I have earned a reputation in the Texas legal community as being a fierce advocate for others from diverse or disadvantaged backgrounds - immigrants, women, people of color- and living proof that with the right opportunities, they can chart their own courses. At heart, I am a trial lawyer who enthusiastically and aggressively tries any lawsuit, anywhere. In over two decades of practice, I have resolved hundreds of civil litigation matters across the State of Texas. Those matters have included cases ranging anywhere from personal injury plaintiff and defense to contractual matters between businesses. On the family law side of the practice, I have handled hundreds of cases ranging from mere property disputes to child custody agreements and of course, those contentious divorces. On the criminal defense side of the practice, I have handled thousands of criminal cases ranging from felony to misdemeanor throughout the State of Texas. Additionally, I have one of the biggest Traffic Ticket Defense practices in the State of Texas. I do not advertised my legal practice at all. I am very grateful to those that seek out my advice and guidance with their legal issues and matters. My combination of experience, innovation and insight to provide counsel to my clients has given me much success in my practice.

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?

• Presiding over a Courtroom requires someone who has the ability to listen, the patience to attend to details and the compassion to help those who are oftentimes dealing with life-altering and emotional issues. My 27 year legal career has prepared me well to be your next Justice of the Peace.
• A Judge should treat every person fairly and with courtesy and respect. That is presently lacking in this Courtroom. I will ensure this occurs when I am your Justice of the Peace.
• A Judge's duty is to follow the law and apply it to the cases heard by that Judge. The laws must be applied in a fair and impartial manner so that everyone receives equal protection under the law.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Texas Democrats believe government exists to achieve together what we cannot achieve as individuals and that government must serve all people. A representative democracy is only truly representative if every single citizen is guaranteed the inalienable right to vote in fair and open elections. We believe every Texan has inalienable rights that even a majority may not take away: 1) the right to vote; 2) the right to fair and open participation and representation in the democratic process; 3) the right to health care; and 4) the right to privacy. We believe in Freedom; responsibility; equal rights; equal opportunity; that a growing economy should benefit all Texans; that our lives, homes, communities and country are made secure; We believe in America; We believe in Texas.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I admire the military figures of the Mexican Revolution. In Mexico there existed a 30-year dictatorship that favored wealthy landowners and industrialists. There existed widespread dissatisfaction in the country. It was the classic David vs. Goliath scenario where you have a plan initiated in San Antonio, Texas made up of random people who wanted to make a change in their country. These people saw a great disparity between rich and poor, they lived and experienced exploitation and poor treatment as workers. The names, Francisco Madero, Francisco "Pancho" Villa and Emiliano Zapata are household names today. After many decades of struggles, assassinations and reform, the revolution was successful in getting rid of Porfirio Diaz. In Mexico today, the Presidential term is now limited to one six year term. One of the main reforms was that there began a program of land redistribution. To add to this, the Mexican government began to recognize labor unions and peasant organizations.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I really enjoyed reading the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant recently. Grant personally wrote his memoirs where he portrays himself as an honorable western hero, whose strength lies in his honesty and straightforwardness. Grant was shrewd, intelligent and effective. At the time of his election to the Presidency, Grant had never held any elected position and had shown little interest in running for office. In the 1860's after the Ku Klux Klan began murdering and terrorizing black Americans, President Grant mobilized the Justice Department and secured thousands of indictments against their leaders. One of my favorite Grant quotations is, " The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on." This applies in life and law and I absolutely live by it.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I believe that Independence, Transparency, Integrity, Competence and Fairness are absolutely required for every elected official, no matter the position.

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

In Texas, a Justice of the Peace presides over the Justice Court in cases involving Class C misdemeanors, small civil disputes, landlord / tenant disputes, juvenile matters including truancy, alcohol and tobacco violations and more. A Justice of the Peace has the authority to conduct marriage ceremonies and has jurisdiction for matters in controversy up to $20,000.00.

What legacy would you like to leave?

To be remembered as someone who worked hard daily to make a difference in people's lives. Someone who was always ethical, fair and respectful.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember that in 1976, the United States celebrated its Bicentennial. The entire year in school we did projects prepared for the formal celebration which would take place on July 04th. Additionally, that year Jimmy Carter won the nomination for U.S. President. I specifically remember this because people would cross out "Ford" on their Ford Pickups and write in "Carter". President Carter had a brother who was always in the news and I remember my father and his friends talking about them. I was 10 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was a young boy of about 10 years old. My father was the owner of his own construction company in Austin, Texas in the 1970's. My father would take me along to his job sites and I would clean the construction sites by picking up the trash and materials left scattered about from the previous days work. I would pick up any tools left and gather them in one place. This continued for many Saturday mornings. As I got older my responsibilities grew as well. Once in high school, I would drive around to various supply stores and pick up the supplies and deliver them to the various jobs my father and his crews had going. I was a jack of all trades on those job sites. Sometimes when I was not cleaning or running the errands for my dad, he would have me help out the workers. I learned what hard work was very early on. It was while working on these job sites that I learned the meaning of hard work and the importance of seeking an education. My father was always reminding me about the importance of seeking a higher education.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

If you aint't Lovin (You ain't Livn') by George Strait. I had the radio tuned to Country Legends and this song came on. Everyone in my family dislikes Country music but I grew up listening to it with my friends in high school. This song focuses on the basics for me. You have to love what you do daily in order to be happy and successful. I love my job as an attorney. I know I will love my job as a Judge.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

A struggle for anyone is balancing your professional or work life with your personal life. It is important to keep life in the proper perspective. In my life, I constantly try to devote most of my time to my family.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

The Justice of the Peace is the legal jurisdiction closest to the average citizen. It is often referred to as "The People's Court". Justices of the Peace are selected in partisan elections. A power I was not aware of was that a Justice of the Peace serves as the coroner in counties where there is no provision for a medical examiner.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

My philosophy would be to interpret the law while attempting to give it the meaning as written by the legislature. My role is to interpret the law within the framework of the U.S. and Texas Constitutions and not to legislate new policies or make new law.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

I admire former United States Supreme Court Associate Justice, Thurgood Marshall. Associate Justice Marshall was appointed by one of my favorite Presidents, Lyndon B. Johnson. Thurgood Marshall was instrumental in ending legal segregation and became the first African American Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Thurgood Marshall stands alongside Martin Luther King, Jr., as one of the greatest and most important figures of the American Civil Rights Movement.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Definitely. In a Courtroom, the implications are significant; empathy allows a Judge to a better understanding not just of a single litigant but of any given person in a case. I believe President Obama said it best, "I view that quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people's hopes and struggles, as an essential ingredient for arriving at just decisions and outcomes."

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

No.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

My career has been dedicated to the pursuit of justice. I am running because this Court needs a Judge with legal experience. I have handled civil and criminal cases in the courtroom for over two decades. I understand the lasting impacts a Court's decision has on litigants and their families in a courtroom. Once elected, I will level the playing field for everyone that comes into my Court, whether they are representing themselves or if they have an attorney advocating on their behalf. I will ensure that everyone is treated fairly and with respect.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?

It is beneficial but not necessary.

What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?

The Texas criminal justice system discriminates against the poor and people of color. Systemic racism and discrimination in the criminal justice system leads to disproportionate differences in rates of arrest, detention, conviction and length of prison sentence. The bail system in Texas must change. Justice should not be measured by wealth and privilege. Fairness, due process and equal protection should be the overriding goals of the criminal justice system.

What do you consider the greatest opportunity for the legal system in your state?

Texas has a very high incarceration rate for juveniles. Prison style incarceration does young offenders more harm than good. Community based juvenile justice prevention and intervention programs can ultimately reduce adult crime. Texas should raise the age of criminal prosecution from 17 to 18.

Would you be interested in serving on a higher court in the future? If so, which court appeals to you?

No. Not at this time.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

If it is based on a thorough review of the Judge as issue, it should be respected.

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.

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Footnotes

Texas courts

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Federal courts:

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas

State courts:

Texas Supreme Court • Texas Court of Appeals • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals • Texas District Courts • Texas County Courts • Texas County Courts at Law • Texas Statutory Probate Courts • Texas Justice of the Peace Courts

State resources:

Courts in Texas • Texas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Texas