Harris County Commissioners Court is set to approve a contract with a consulting firm owned by a prominent Democratic political consultant at their meeting this Tuesday. According to the agenda posted for the October 10 meeting of Harris County Commissioners Court, the Court will consider a contract with Angle Strategies, Inc. “for consulting services related to redrawing Harris County Election Precinct boundaries to comply with Chapter 42 of the Texas Election Code.”
Angle Strategies, Inc. is a Washington, DC-area consulting firm owned by prominent Democratic political Consultant Matt Angle. According to the proposed contract, “Matt Angle will help the County comply with Texas Election Code Chapter 42 by redrawing the boundaries of Harris County Election Precincts that are required to be redrawn.” Under the terms of the proposed contract, Angle Strategies will be paid $300 per hour for services rendered under the contract.
Matt Angle is the founder and director of the Lone Star Project PAC, which supports Democratic candidates across Texas. Among those assisted by the Lone Star Project include Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who received an in-kind contribution valued at $35,000 from the Lone Star Project last year. According to a report from Axios published in June, Angle is also a senior advisor to a SuperPAC that intends to spend millions of dollars opposing Ted Cruz in the 2024 election.
On social media, Angle has been very complimentary towards Democratic officials in Harris County while spewing vitriol towards conservatives. In 2020, Angle praised Democratic Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis for his role in creating an election administrator’s office in Harris County.
“Harris Co was plagued for years by @TexasGOP vote suppressors in Clerk & Tax Assessor Collector offices. @RodneyEllis is taking the lead to assure fair & efficient elections,” wrote Angle. After a series of elections plagued with irregularities and mismanagement, the Texas legislature passed a bill earlier this year that shut down the Harris County elections administrator’s office and transferred the duties of the office back to the elected Harris County Clerk and Tax Assessor-Collector.
Among Republican leaders attacked by Angle include Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, who Angle claimed supported racist “Jim Crow election laws” and “racially gerrymandered maps intended to undermine Texas voters & democracy itself.” Angle also described a property tax relief proposal supported by Phelan as an “appraisal cap boondoggle.” State Representative Briscoe Cain also drew the ire of Angle, who described Cain as “the essence of stupidity mixed with bad intentions.”
The proposed contract with Angle Strategies that is up for consideration this week is not the first time that Harris County has done business with the firm. According to payment records from the Harris County Auditor, Harris County taxpayers paid Angle Strategies $194,225.33 last year. Angle Strategies has also done work for Dallas County related to redistricting.
