All City Council seats up for May 2026 election as Fulshear redistricts
All Fulshear City Council seats—including the mayor’s—will be up for election in May after City Council approved a new district map at a Sept. 16 meeting.
Zooming in: Officials voted 7-0 to approve plan 3C, which unifies the Bonterra community within District 4 and puts District 2 council member Patrick Powers and District 5 council member Abhijeet Utturkar in the same district.
The context: The approval comes after a study conducted by law firm Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP showed the city has nearly doubled its population since the 2020 census.
The background: Redistricting was first brought up in February 2024 by Mayor Pro Tem and District 1 council member Sarah Johnson, who raised concerns about underrepresentation for Districts 1 and 4 due to population growth since maps were last drawn in 2022.
What’s next: All eight seats—including the mayor’s— will be up for election May 2, 2026.
St. Faustina Catholic Church to see $43 million expansion in Fulshear
St. Faustina Catholic Church, one of the fastest-growing parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, is adding a $43.35 million expansion to its current location, church representatives said.
About the project: Styled by Jackson & Ryan Architects, the new church building will increase seating capacity from 1,300 to 2,000, and the construction will also include a 49-seat perpetual adoration chapel, bell tower, plaza for community gathering and additional parking, according to an official statement from St. Faustina Catholic Church.
Looking ahead: Construction broke ground this past June and is expected to finish in the summer of 2027.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo won't seek third term ahead of 2026 election
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo formally announced she will not seek reelection for a third term as judge of Texas’ largest county. Hidalgo said in a Sept. 15 news release that she is keeping her promise not to serve more than two terms.
Quote of note: “I ran for office as a change maker to challenge the establishment and bring a fresh perspective to a Harris County government," Hidalgo said. “I’m so proud of our community and all of the progress that we’ve achieved together, from expanding early childhood education to making our community safer.”
Also of note: The announcement comes just weeks after addressing a crowd of Houston business leaders and constituents Sept. 5 about her reelection status during the 2025 State of the County keynote address. Hidalgo hinted she would announce “soon” whether or not she would run in 2026.
Hidalgo has served as county judge since 2019 and was reelected after winning the county seat during the November 2022 general election. Her current four-year term ends Dec. 31, 2026.
Houston single-family home sales jump nearly 12% in August, inventory up over 30%
The gist: Single-family home sales rose 11.9% compared to the same time last year in August, according to the Houston Association of Realtors’ August 2025 Housing Market Update released Sept. 10. The number of homes available was also reported to be 30.4% above last year’s number. While sales and available homes numbers were higher, home prices didn’t show as much change this August compared to last year. The median sales price remained almost unchanged at $335,000, according to the report.
What they’re saying: “August brought the strongest sales gains we’ve seen so far this year, and that’s encouraging for both sides of the market,” HAR Chair Shae Cottar said. “Buyers have more choices and negotiating power than they’ve had in more than a decade while sellers continue to benefit from solid demand. As mortgage rates continue to ease, I anticipate buyer activity will remain solid in the coming months.”
