Judge Jason Cox Holds Fundraiser to Defend Election Contest

On February 7, second-term Harris County Probate Court 3 Judge Jason Cox, an openly gay man, posted the following to his Facebook page:

Family, Friends, and Colleagues:
As many of you have heard, despite losing by over 33,000 votes and conceding that he lost, at this late date my former opponent has sued me personally in an attempt to set aside the 2022 election results. Although my winning margin was among the highest in Harris County, I now have to hire private counsel to defend this lawsuit as neither the Party nor the County cover these costs. I had not planned to have any additional fundraisers this cycle, but because of this lawsuit I am scheduling a legal defense fundraiser taking place later this month. If you’re unable to attend, but would like to help defray some of my legal expenses, please visit my website https://reelectjudgejasoncox.com?
Lastly, so many of you have reached out to me with expressions of support and solidarity. I am more grateful to you than I can express. 

“I have already received some donations,” said Judge Cox. “And I am enormously grateful for the moral support.” His fundraiser is scheduled for February 22 at the Bungalow Heights gastropub. 

First elected to the bench in 2018, Cox, a lawyer and former adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas, is a cancer survivor and longtime volunteer and advocate for cancer patients. Last November, Cox beat his previous rival Republican Rory Olsen, who once held the same bench, for the second time.

But Olsen wasn’t giving up.

Olsen is one of 21 losing Republicans to file suits to contest the election claiming mismanagement and fraud. Republican candidate for Harris County judge Alexandra del Moral Mealer has perhaps the highest profile of those Republicans. She filed on January 6, the last possible day allowed by the Texas Election Code. Losing candidates must file petitions within 45 days of the canvass of an election, according to Sec. 232.008. Judicial candidate Erin Lunceford, filed on Dec. 7, and the trio of Tami Pierce, James Lombardino, and Olsen, filed on Jan. 5. By the deadline, 21 candidates had filed to contest the election results. Olsen is represented in the suit by attorney Jared Woodfill, former Harris County Republican Party chairman and anti-LGBTQ activist. Judge Cox said he hoped his being gay wasn’t a factor in the suit but said he really didn’t know why Olsen was contesting the results.

“It really surprised me,” he said.

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, not pleased by the civil suits, stated, “The county will now have to spend substantial resources handling these contests, time that could instead be spent serving the people of Harris County.

“This is a shameful attempt by a group of losing candidates who couldn’t win the hearts and minds of Harris County voters and are now throwing nonsensical legal theories at the wall to see what sticks. Each of them should be deeply embarrassed and these claims should not be taken seriously by the public,” Menefee said. “These losing candidates are finally laying bare what we all know to be true – for them, it’s not about improving elections or making sure our elections are secure, it’s about playing games with our democratic systems and refusing to accept the will of the voters.”

The contests being filed request that the more than one million votes cast in Harris County be voided and the county hold another election for the races being challenged.

Judge Cox has hired attorney Chris Feldman to defend him and says he isn’t sure what will happen now, although there is the possibility it could go to trial.

“I’ve never been sued before,” Judge Cox said. “Nobody likes to be sued. I’m optimistic, but it is a distraction. We have done a lot of good work in the last four years. Particularly in terms of partnerships to provide mental health care and I am looking forward to building on that. And I would like not to have this distraction.”

What: Legal defense fundraiser for Judge Jason Cox
When: February 22 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Where: Bungalow Heights
1919 Beall St.
More info: reelectjudgejasoncox.com