Judge DaSean Jones Resigns and Seeks to Dismiss His Appeal in Harris County 2022 Election Dispute

On Thursday, September 11, 2025, The Texan reported that Harris County District Judge DaSean Jones resigned and moved to dismiss his appeal in a lawsuit concerning the 2022 election contest filed by Republican candidate Tami Pierce. This development comes nearly three years after the initial election, which was marred by irregularities and ultimately led to a court-ordered redo.

The 2022 election for the 180th District Criminal Court, which pitted Democratic incumbent Jones against Pierce, was declared void by visiting Judge David Peeples due to illegally cast and disqualified after-hours votes. Peeples concluded that the true outcome of the election could not be determined and mandated a new election to be held in May 2025.

Jones subsequently filed an appeal, which effectively put Peeples’ orders on hold. In January 2025, a three-judge panel from the 1st Court of Appeals heard arguments from both sides, but a ruling has not yet been issued.

Earlier this month, Jones submitted his resignation, effective October 1. On Thursday, his attorney filed a motion to dismiss Jones’ appeal to Pierce’s election contest with prejudice, preventing any further appeals.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is now tasked with appointing a replacement to fill the vacancy, and Pierce is expected to apply for the position.

With Jones’ withdrawal, Pierce is poised to win the new election by default, assuming Jones does not participate. According to Pierce’s attorney, Paul Simpson, Jones has agreed not to run. Simpson stated, “The people of Harris County can breathe a little easier: Judge DaSean Jones–one of the Democrat judges who keep letting violent offenders back on the streets–finally gave up his frivolous fight to stay in office”.

Jones, who was elected to the 180th Criminal Court in 2018, is a member of the Houston Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and has faced scrutiny for bail bonds he granted to suspects charged with violent crimes. Simpson described Pierce as “a prosecutor and fierce advocate for victims” who “will be a fair judge who ensures laws are followed and justice is done”.

The 2022 election faced challenges when a county representative informed the local district court judge that all locations would have adequate supplies to continue processing voters past the scheduled 7 p.m. closing time. However, the county later admitted that they were unable to resupply all polling locations.

Out of over one million votes cast, Harris County reported that Jones defeated Pierce by 449 votes. Nevertheless, Peeples determined that 1,430 illegal votes were cast. Peeples also found that 321 votes were cast for Jones during after-hours voting, which had been permitted under a local district court judge’s order that was later stayed by the Supreme Court of Texas.

Darryl Blackburn, the employee responsible for allocating supplies, was indicted on six felonies in connection with the 2022 election and has been granted pretrial diversion for his charges.

Pierce was among 21 candidates who filed election contests following the chaotic 2022 general election in Harris County. The adjudication of her case was delayed by Jones’ anti-Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) motion to dismiss and his subsequent appeal. Jones and his attorney, Oliver Brown, argued that Pierce’s lawsuit infringed on Jones’ right to engage in the democratic process, though anti-SLAPP motions are typically used in free speech cases.

Peeples rejected the anti-SLAPP motion as “frivolous and intended solely to delay” in February 2023. Jones then appealed to the Texas 1st Court of Appeals, halting all progress until 2024, when the appeals court affirmed the lower court ruling. Due to Jones’ candidacy for the Supreme Court of Texas in 2024, Peeples could not order an election before May 2025.

An audit report from the Texas Secretary of State’s (SOS) Office revealed that Harris County violated the state election code in 2022. Under the new Texas law, the SOS could assign a conservator to the county if problems persist.

Governor Abbott cited Harris County’s troubled election management history as a reason to delay a special election to replace the late Congressman Sylvester Turner (D-TX-18) until November 2025.