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Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo took issue with a question regarding law enforcement spending during a Thursday press conference on a new crime prevention initiative in the county, according to reports from Houston-based media outlets.
Houston ABC affiliate KTRK reported that Hidalgo, a Democrat, gave an angry response when asked about an apparent plan to defund police.
“Defunding as you see this increase?” the county judge, who is seeking a second term in November, said, according to KTRK. “We should be laughing, and someone who is running on a laughable lie."
KTRK reported that aside from her negative expression, Hidalgo used a part of the press conference to also take a jab at the woman she’s facing off with, Republican challenger Alexandra del Moral Mealer.
“You are hurting our law enforcement and you're hurting our democracy when you're willing to spread lies," Hidalgo said, the station reported.
At focus of the conference was the $150 million Safe Harris program, according to KTRK.
Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported that it was a member of Hidalgo’s own party who raised the question of the health of funding for law enforcement.
According to KHOU, State Sen. John Whitmire (D-Houston) scrutinized the 31-year-old chief executive of Texas’ largest county as the chair of the Senate’s criminal justice committee.
Hidalgo argued that under her leadership, the county has spent more on law enforcement, the station reported.
KTRK reported that del Moral Mealer, an Army veteran, offered a response to Hidalgo’s diatribe.
"Their morale is beat down not because I said they weren't properly funded," the GOP hopeful for the county’s top job said, per the station. "It's because of her actions. She broke our criminal justice system and now is passing the blame."
Hidalgo and del Moral Mealer are locked in a tight race.
Houston Daily reported in July a University of Houston (UH) Hobby School of Public Affairs showed del Moral Mealer trailing Hidalgo just by a percent.