For the past 55 years, a Republican has held Harris County’s Precinct 3 Commissioner seat. Incumbent Tom Ramsey hopes to extend that another four. 

Ramsey is seeking his second term after being elected in 2020 ahead of  a crowded field. It was the first time in three decades the Precinct 3 race did not feature an incumbent, after eight-term Commissioner Steve Radack opted not to seek reelection. 

The race attracted attention from both Republican and Democratic parties — particularly Democrats — who hoped a blue wave in Harris County would flip the traditionally red seat. 

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That level of attention is nowhere to be found this year. 

Saleem Malik, a deputy with the Precinct 4 Constable’s office, is running against Ramsey as the Democratic nominee, but his campaign presence largely has been non-existent. 

Malik’s campaign website — and online presence — is sparse. While the volunteer, donation and contact forms are all prominently displayed, information about Malik and his views are not. The website’s  “about us,” “issues” and “FAQ” pages do not work. 

Mike Doyle, chairman of the Harris County Democratic Party, said he has seen Malik “a few times” throughout the year but has not had much personal contact with him. 

Due to the number of candidates in Harris County, Doyle said that is not uncommon.

“HCDP works to support all Democratic candidates up and down the ballot,” he said. 

No response

Ramsey’s campaign said they have not seen or heard from Malik and are unaware of any public appearances he has made in relation to the election.

Malik did not respond to repeated requests for an interview for this story.

However, Malik told Community Impact that he is running because he is “already serving the residents of Harris County” as a constable deputy and believes constituents deserve “more than just building roads and bridges.”

He called security and safety a top concern for the county and said more police officers need to be hired as the county’s population grows. 

“We need to make sure they are well paid, well equipped and use of artificial intelligence is very essential,” he told the newspaper.

Campaign finance records show Malik has raised $1,610 in donations, and donated $380 to his effort. Ramsey, meanwhile, has reported nearly $560,000.  

Harris County commissioners individually control hundreds of millions of dollars in road and park funds and, as part of Commissioners Court, vote on the county’s budget, making them among the most powerful local elected officials.

Precinct 3 is one of the fastest growing areas in Harris County and contains the largest portion of the unincorporated region, where the county is the highest direct form of governance. The jurisdiction’s boundaries span from Cypress to Baytown, with Tomball and Huffman to the north and the Memorial Villages and Spring Branch to the south. The precinct also maintains nearly 6,800 lane miles of roadway.

Frequent dissenter on court

Ramsey, 72, ran on the promise to return county government to its more traditional role of infrastructure maintenance, improving safety and lowering crime and finding ways to curb spending.

Throughout his first term, Ramsey said he has accomplished what he set out to do. He said he particularly is proud of his support of the county’s contract deputy program and that he was able to invest more than $300 million in road maintenance.

“County commissioners are unique,” Ramsey said. “If somebody calls me and says the road needs to be fixed, I can fix it tomorrow.

“That’s what I’m enthusiastic about. We can actually do something about it. We have resources and assets within our areas of responsibility to actually respond to very specific requests by citizens.”

Reduced to being the lone Republican on the five-member Commissioners Court after the Democrat-led body led a 20 redistricting that largely swapped the boundaries of Precincts 3 and 4, Ramsey is a frequent dissenter during the panel’s biweekly meetings. He repeatedly has said the county needs to curb its spending, particularly on social programs.

Among his most recent high-profile disagreements with court members, Ramsey served as a witness for the state of Texas who sued the county over its guaranteed income program, saying it was unconstitutional. 

The court – with Ramsey voting no – since has voted to resurrect the program with stricter spending parameters. 

If re-elected, the incumbent said one of his top priorities will be to continue pushing neighboring counties, particularly Liberty and Montgomery, to adopt stronger flood mitigation efforts, a topic Ramsey has been vocal about during Commissioners Court. 

Prior to being a county commissioner, Ramsey served as the mayor of Spring Valley Village from 2012 to 2020. 

Before pursuing public office, Ramsey was a civil engineer for nearly 45 years. A Texas native, Ramsey graduated from Texas A&M University in civil engineering. 

He worked at Dallas Water Utilities, helping design wastewater treatment facilities, and then transitioned into municipal engineering in Palestine in East Texas.

By 1981, Ramsey joined Southwestern Laboratories in Houston where he had the opportunity to work on the Hardy Toll Road, the first toll road in Harris County. After the company was sold, Ramsey had a brief stint in Denver where he helped design the local airport before returning to Houston in 1993, when he joined Klotz Associates. He helped grow the company from 20 employees to about 150 before it was sold in 2017.

He’s been married to his wife, Marsha, for 52 years and has three children and seven grandchildren. Most of his family resides in Harris County, largely in his precinct, and Ramsey said one of his favorite things to do is to spend time with his grandchildren — particularly golfing with his granddaughter.

Ramsey teaches adult Bible study classes and serves as a deacon at Second Baptist Houston. He is the treasurer on the board of Loving Kids, a local initiative launched to help underserved Houston children.

The post Ramsey aims to keep Republicans in power in Harris County Precinct 3 another four years appeared first on Houston Landing.