Victory 2012: Chairman Ed Emmett

Party activists and leadership were thrilled at the news during the third quarterly meeting of the State Republican Executive Committee, when RPT Chairman Steve Munisteri made his public announcement naming Harris County JudgeEd Emmett as Chairman of the Victory 2012 committee.

No stranger to Texas politics and the Republican Party, Judge Emmett has been a leading voice for conservative government and Republican principles in a career spanning five decades. He is a tenacious campaigner and has shown a remarkable ability to lead strong campaign organizations throughout his career. This was clearly demonstrated in his 1978 upset victory over a six-term Democrat incumbent in a race for the Texas House. As a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1979 to 1987, Judge Emmett was chairman of the Committee on Energy, a member of the Transportation Committee, and represented the state on numerous national committees relating to energy and transportation policy.

In 1989, President George H. W. Bush nominated Emmett as a Commissioner at the Interstate Commerce Commission. After being confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate, Judge Emmett served on the commission for three years.

Emmett was sworn in as Harris County Judge on March 6, 2007, and won election in November 2008. Even though Democrats won nearly all county-wide races that year, Emmett won comfortably with over 600,000 votes. In 2010, Judge Emmett again led the Republican ticket in Harris County, this time with over 60% of the vote, and a higher vote total than any other opposed Republican on the countywide ballot.

Judge Emmett also is director of Harris County’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, a role that took on special significance when Hurricane Ike struck the Gulf Coast in September 2008. He also serves on numerous boards and committees.

Judge Emmett attended Bellaire High School. He graduated from Rice University in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and from the University of Texas at Austin in 1974 with a Master of Public Affairs degree. Judge Emmett and his wife, Gwen, have been married for 36 years and have four children and eight grandchildren.

Said RPT Chairman Munisteri, "I am very grateful that Judge Emmett has accepted the position of Victory chair at this critical time. I have known him since 1978 when I supported him in his campaign for the Texas State House of Representatives. Even back then, Ed was very helpful to both the party and conservative groups. He was always willing to speak at conservative conferences and appear at fundraisers. Fast forward 34 years, and Ed is still willing to support the party with his time and talents. It is particularly helpful to the state party to have the benefit of the Judge's experience as he has been involved in strategizing for various candidates for a long period of time. This combined with his experience on the national level, experience in the Texas House, and his experience managing the largest county in Texas perfectly fits the criteria for an effective Victory chair. On behalf of the Republican Party of Texas, I thank him for taking on this enormous task."