Victories for Leanna Gutierrez-Gonzales and Aidee Hernandez put new leadership in charge of election administration and funding in this conservative stronghold
CORPUS CHRISTI — Tonight, Nueces County voters elected pro-democracy leaders Leanna Gutierrez-Gonzales as county clerk and Aidee Hernandez as county judge, ousting far-right incumbents in this traditionally conservative Gulf Coast county. Gutierrez-Gonzales defeated Kara Sands, an election denier who worked alongside failed Senate candidate Ken Paxton to prosecute an innocent voter, while Hernandez unseated County Judge Connie Scott.
Both Gutierrez-Gonzales and Hernandez were backed with nearly half a million dollars in independent expenditures by the State + Local Election Alliance (SLEA), the only national organization focused on electing pro-democracy candidates to the state and local offices that decide how ballots are cast, counted, certified, and challenged. SLEA invested in both races because the offices carry complementary responsibilities: the county clerk administers elections, while the county judge leads the governing body that approves their funding.
Sands’s tenure drew scrutiny for a slew of election administration errors and baseless voter fraud allegations. In 2019, she worked alongside Ken Paxton as part of a wasteful search for fictional voter fraud that resulted in the prosecution of an innocent voter. In 2020, Sands’s office sent approximately 1,500 mail voters notices demanding identification, prompting a lawsuit alleging violations of voters’ rights. In 2025, Sands provided voters with ballots that incorrectly listed proposed amendments to the state’s constitution.
“Nueces County voters chose a fresh start over an elections chief who worked side-by-side with Ken Paxton to suppress the vote,” said Kim Rogers, president of State + Local Election Alliance. “These races deserve attention far beyond Corpus Christi. Across the country, local officials decide whether voters get clear information, accessible polling places, and confidence that their ballots will count. Leanna Gutierrez-Gonzales and Aidee Hernandez’s victories put leaders committed to voters in two offices that will help shape the 2028 elections.”
Gutierrez-Gonzales campaigned on overcoming partisan divisions and improving public confidence in county government. As county clerk, she will serve as Nueces County’s chief elections officer. Hernandez, who previously worked as manager of the Nueces County Commissioners Court, brings county operations experience to the county's top executive role. The county judge presides over the commissioners court, which adopts the county budget and makes funding decisions affecting election staffing, equipment, and operations. Both officials will serve through the 2028 presidential election, making tonight’s races an important part of the firewall for protecting local elections.
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