Incumbent Grady Prestage and Republican challenger Tony Aranda will compete for the Fort Bend County Precinct 2 commissioner seat on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The race, shaped by a months-long boycott of Commissioners Court, will decide who controls county roads, drainage and services for Missouri City and Stafford.

Precinct 2 covers both cities. The commissioner who holds the seat helps set the county budget, approve infrastructure bonds and direct day-to-day services.

Prestage, the Democratic incumbent, is seeking re-election. Aranda, a 22-year Marine Corps veteran, is running as a Republican. The group Veterans for America First endorsed Aranda on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

The boycott backdrop

The race plays out against an unusual county government standoff. Prestage and Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy walked out of a June 26 Commissioners Court meeting and have boycotted sessions since, disputing the legal authority of Interim County Judge Daniel Wong to preside. Fort Bend County meeting minutes from Aug. 13 still listed Prestage as absent, with votes proceeding 3-0 without him.

The absences have had real consequences. A report published Aug. 5 by Covering Katy found that approximately $120 million in bonds for road and mobility projects and $30 million for park projects cannot move forward without the required quorum. Whether the boycott has continued past August could not be confirmed from available records.

Aranda has made the absences a central issue. At a July 23 public meeting Prestage and McCoy held at the Fort Bend County Courthouse, Aranda spoke against the boycott. "Leaders don't run, they face the challenges," Aranda told Houston Public Media at the time. He added that Prestage had missed three Commissioners Court meetings, leaving residents without a voice.

Prestage defended his position at the same July 23 meeting, saying the session was "a chance to air it out" and that he and his staff were "working every day" despite the absences, according to Houston Public Media's reporting.

What the seat controls

Commissioners Court sets the county tax rate, approves infrastructure bonds and oversees services including roads, drainage and parks. Prestage's official Precinct 2 platform, the "Fresno Plan," is a 10-point plan covering mobility, flood control, public safety and business development. It notes that voters approved an $86 million bond in 2019 for improvements to Mustang Bayou to reduce flood risks.

Community Impact published a candidate Q&A on Tuesday, Sept. 29 with both Prestage and Aranda.

Registration deadline Monday

Monday, Oct. 5 is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 3 election. Texas law requires registration 30 days before Election Day. Early voting runs Monday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Oct. 30. Fort Bend County residents can check their registration status at fortbendcountytx.gov.

A statewide technology error by the Texas Department of Public Safety created a backlog in voter registration applications, ABC 13 reported. State and county officials told ABC 13 that voters who submit their registration by Oct. 5 should still be able to vote.