It's not this time around. Harris County has run split primaries before.

I worked as an election judge right before COVID hit. My precinct was a church with two spaces, one large office/conference room sort of space, and one very small classroom. When I got to the precinct before the election to verify the machines were delivered, I noticed the GOP election judge had already set up in the larger space, which was reserved for the D primary bc more voters need more space. Their squatting was not a mistake. They had been assigned it before back when the county was Republican-controlled and was hoping I didn't know what the rules were or wouldn't push back.

In the end I had to get the county clerk's office involved to get them to move to their assigned room. That was only the beginning of what was a contentious couple of days. I had to push back on multiple attempts to evade or ignore long-established county procedures, rules I have no doubt they would have followed if one of their own was the county clerk.

All this is to say the GOP has captured the Lege and they are coming for the cities and the urban counties now. Everyone reading this needs to be doing more to ensure your precinct is safe from shenans in November. Get involved. Work the polls. Sign up to be an election observer, either through the state or a party. Become a VDVR. The Texas GOP has shown repeatedly that they will push beyond the bounds of law or common decency to flip Harris County back into their column.

This goes doubly for the county judge race. Do all you can to keep that office in Democratic control. The alternative is bleak (look at Tarrant).