Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton faces Republican challenger Shawn McDonald on Nov. 3. The winner will prosecute criminal cases across Missouri City, Stafford and the rest of the county.

Middleton, a Democrat first elected in 2018, is Fort Bend County's first African American district attorney. McDonald, a longtime prosecutor and Sugar Land municipal court judge who has practiced law in the county since 2004, won the Republican primary in March with more than 75% of the vote, Covering Katy reported.

Bolts magazine listed the contest among 25 prosecutor races nationally that may be competitive in November. The publication reported that McDonald is making the case that the DA's office should be more punitive under his leadership.

McDonald's campaign alleges Middleton has pursued a liberal agenda by declining to prosecute some crimes, according to Bolts. The publication also reported that McDonald's campaign did not respond to its inquiry for more information.

Middleton has pointed to declining crime numbers as evidence his approach is working. At his annual State of Criminal Justice panel on Aug. 28, he reported that crimes against people fell 9.4% and property crime dropped 15.9%, according to Style Magazine. He cited a 2025 violent-crime rate of about 1.34 incidents per 1,000 residents.

"For the past eight years, I've delivered on my pledge to strengthen the justice system in Fort Bend County," Middleton told attendees at the Aug. 28 panel, as Style Magazine reported Sept. 1.

Middleton's office created the county's Public Integrity Division in 2019 to investigate alleged criminal wrongdoing by government officials. That unit handled the prosecution of outgoing County Judge KP George, who was convicted of felony money laundering in March and sentenced in June to 180 days in jail and five years' probation, Houston Public Media reported.

According to Bolts, Middleton also signed statements saying he would not prosecute abortion cases and rebuffed a directive from Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate. McDonald has cited those decisions as part of his criticism of the incumbent.

Before becoming DA, Middleton worked as a briefing attorney at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and as a municipal judge. He serves as 2026 president of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association. McDonald is also listed as a CPA in the Houston Chronicle's 2026 primary voter guide.

Fort Bend County's population has grown to an estimated 975,191 residents as of 2025, up 18.3% since 2020. The next DA will oversee prosecutions for one of the fastest-growing counties in Texas.

The voter registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 5. Early voting runs Oct. 19 through Oct. 30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.