Hon. Ed Gonzalez

Harris County voters chose Ed Gonzalez to serve as the 30th sheriff of Texas’ most populous county in 2016. Four years later, voters elected him to a second term. A lifelong Houstonian, Sheriff Gonzalez started his journey in public service at the Houston Police Department, first as a civilian, then a peace officer, homicide detective, hostage negotiator, and sergeant. After nearly two decades of service as a peace officer, Sheriff Gonzalez won a seat on the Houston City Council, serving three terms as the representative for residents in District H, an area north and east of downtown Houston. As a city councilman, he chaired the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee and was appointed Mayor Pro-Tem. He was instrumental in creating the Houston Recovery Center, a diversion facility where people with public intoxication cases connect with a recovery coach rather than going to jail. Sheriff Gonzalez holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Houston-Downtown and a master of liberal arts degree from the University of St. Thomas. Sheriff Gonzalez serves on the advisory Board of Trustees for the Council on Criminal Justice and he serves as Vice-Chair of the Harris County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.