Fort Bend County Commissioner Dexter McCoy holds a 9-point lead over interim County Judge Daniel Wong in the race for county judge, according to a Texas Southern University poll released in early October.

The poll, conducted by Rice University political science professor Mark Jones and TSU professor Michael Adams, showed McCoy at 49% and Wong at 40%, the Houston Press reported. Eleven percent of voters remained undecided.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. The county judge oversees Fort Bend County's budget and operations, decisions that directly affect Katy and Fulshear taxpayers.

A turbulent year

The seat has been in upheaval since March, when former County Judge KP George was convicted of felony money laundering, according to Houston Public Media. Wong, a former Sugar Land city council member and engineering firm CEO, was sworn in as acting county judge in April.

His appointment sparked legal challenges. The Fort Bend County Attorney's Office filed a civil lawsuit disputing Wong's authority. McCoy and fellow Democratic Commissioner Grady Prestage stopped attending Commissioners Court meetings over the summer, saying they were following legal guidance from the county attorney's office after the lawsuit was dismissed.

Wong continues to preside over the court. A trial on whether his appointment is valid is scheduled to begin after the November election, at which point the matter would be moot, the Houston Press reported.

Where the candidates stand

Wong, who spoke at an early October candidate debate, described stepping into the role unexpectedly. His campaign did not respond to Houston Public Media's requests for an interview.

"I got thrown in this job," Wong said at the debate, according to Houston Public Media. "I didn't even know what happened."

Wong said he leaned on his business background and argued county spending has outpaced growth. As interim judge, he proposed a tax rate reduction that passed Commissioners Court before the fiscal year 2027 budget was adopted.

McCoy, a Precinct 4 commissioner first elected in 2023, previously served as a special assistant in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education from 2015 to 2017. He said affordability is a top priority, noting that over 70% of county tax revenue relies on residential homeowners.

"We've got to really get serious about our economic development, our business attraction," McCoy told Houston Public Media. He said he wants to attract commercial industries to reduce residential property tax pressure and bring jobs to the county.

McCoy also said he would order a full audit of county operations if elected.

Late-race controversy

Wong's campaign recently shared an AI-generated video on social media that appeared to show Black voters voicing support for him, Houston Public Media reported Oct. 30. McCoy condemned the video in a statement, calling it "racist, vile, and wrong," according to Houston Public Media. Wong's campaign released a statement saying it did not produce the video. The video has since been taken down.

Jones, the Rice University pollster, told the Houston Press that Fort Bend County "is purple and tends to lean one way or the other, depending on the election year." He said close to half of likely voters still did not know who Wong is.

Fort Bend County has close to 1 million residents. Polls close Nov. 3.