The Office of the Texas Attorney General filed a lawsuit Thursday against Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth and her Director of Communications Irene Nuñez, alleging they used Meta’s advertising tools on Facebook and Instagram to run “Get Out the Vote” style ads that targeted black, Asian, and Latino users while avoiding other demographics, notably white voters.
Meta’s Ad Library shows the clerk’s office spent an estimated $43,429 over the past thirty days on one set of those ads, which the state says were set to show preferentially to certain populations through interest tags including “African-American history,” “Latin dance,” “African art,” “Hispanic kitchen,” “Asia,” and “Pakistan.”
The lawsuit accuses the county clerk of engaging in a “racially discriminatory voter suppression scheme,” argues that classifying based on race when providing election information exceeds the county’s authority and violates the Texas Constitution’s Equal Rights Amendment by seeking to increase turnout among particular races and ethnicities but not others.
“By specifically directing voting advertisements to these and many other racial or ethnic ‘detailed targeting’ terms, it is readily apparent that Harris County is attempting to increase the likelihood that only certain racial and ethnic groups—but not all—will vote,” the lawsuit states.
Because Attorney General Ken Paxton is a candidate on the November Senate ballot against Democrat James Talarico, he recused himself from the lawsuit.
The Office of the Attorney General announced the lawsuit in a post on X, which stated that the “racially discriminatory voter suppression scheme” could “harm the integrity of Texas elections.”
The Office of the Attorney General Sues Harris County Clerk for Running Racially Discriminatory Voter Suppression Scheme That Could Harm the Integrity of Texas Elections: https://t.co/Gdqsm0wWbX
— Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) October 29, 2026
The suit seeks a temporary restraining order, temporary injunction, and permanent injunction to stop or reconfigure the ads.
Rep. Christian Menefee, a Democrat representing part of Harris County, said the lawsuit was filed in the final days of early voting because Paxton is “upset” about “diverse voters” who are “making their voices heard.”
“Paxton is upset that diverse voters across Harris County are making their voices heard. He doesn’t like that in this election, people are showing up in big numbers in neighborhoods like Third Ward, Acres Homes, Cypress, Tidwell, and Sunnyside,” Menefee claimed.
Ken Paxton filed this lawsuit in the final days of voting because he wants to stop Houstonians from going to the polls.
He’s whining about ads that do nothing more than tell neighbors when to vote and where to get information about voting.
Paxton is upset that diverse voters across Harris County are making their voices heard. He doesn’t like that in this election, people are showing up in big numbers in neighborhoods like Third Ward, Acres Homes, Cypress, Tidwell, and Sunnyside.
Remember this: someone with as much power as the Texas Attorney General would only take desperate action like this lawsuit because he is scared. I hope everyone in Harris County who is eligible to vote sees this lawsuit for what it is, and goes to cast their ballot in this election.
— Congressman Christian D. Menefee (@RepCDMenefee) October 29, 2026
Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth told The Houston Press, “The Harris County Clerk’s Office is committed to ensuring that all qualified voters have access to accurate, timely, and nonpartisan election information.”
“We are confident that our voter outreach efforts are lawful,” Hudspeth continued. “Our highest priority remains conducting a successful, transparent, and secure election. With that responsibility at the forefront, the Meta audience subsets have been deactivated to avoid unnecessary distractions.”
The article notes, “Harris County has seen an unprecedented early voting turnout, with 862,659 ballots cast as of Thursday afternoon. Harris County polling suggests that its voters lean blue and the high turnout is good for Democrats. Latino voters have also mobilized in recent months in opposition to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.”
The post Texas AG’s Office Sues Harris County Clerk for Running Taxpayer-Funded Get-Out-the-Vote Ads That Targeted Non-White Voters on Facebook and Instagram appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
