Harris County commissioners unanimously appointed Erica Lee Carter as County Administrator on February 12, 2026. Carter, the daughter of the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, was selected following a hiring process that began in August 2025.

The position, which carries an annual salary of $411,000, attracted 401 applicants. These applicants included chief executive officers, chief operating officers, and individuals with backgrounds in law enforcement, medicine, and the federal government. At least 30 current City of Houston and Harris County employees also applied for the role.

The initial applicant pool was narrowed to 10 candidates. A representative from each commissioner's office and the county judge's office conducted interviews with these candidates. During the first round of interviews, candidates were ranked based on their scores, and Erica Lee Carter was ranked fourth overall. The top five candidates, including Carter, advanced to a second round of interviews.

Score sheets from the second round of interviews indicated that Carter was the top choice for the offices of Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey. Carter was ranked as the second candidate overall after this round. An out-of-state candidate held the top spot in both the first and second rounds of interviews. The top three candidates were then presented to the commissioners, who unanimously selected Carter.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo described the County Administrator role as the "Chief Operating Officer" of the county. "Multiple factors may be considered beyond numerical scoring," a representative for Erica Lee Carter stated regarding the selection process.

Commissioner Rodney Ellis described the hiring process as "thorough and competitive" in a statement. Ellis also stated that Carter earned the position through her experience, judgment, and history of public service. Carter worked for Commissioner Ellis on policy matters before and after her roughly three-month period serving in Congress in 2024, following her mother's death.

Why It Matters

The appointment of Erica Lee Carter as County Administrator follows a search process for a position with oversight in Harris County operations. The County Administrator office, established in 2021, employs approximately 70 people and costs taxpayers more than $8 million annually in salaries, according to 2025 Harris County employee data. The creation and function of this office have been points of discussion, with Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia proposing its elimination on May 8, 2025. Garcia stated that "The commissioners are closer to the constituents and understand their needs better than any county administrator."