Dan Simons

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Dan Simons

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Colmesneil High School

Bachelor's

Sam Houston State University, 2008

Graduate

University of Houston, 2013

Law

Thurgood Marshall School of Law, 2011

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Air Force

Years of service

1996 - 1999

Personal

Birthplace

Galveston, Texas

Religion

Christian

Profession

Lawyer

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Campaign TikTok

Personal Facebook

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Dan Simons (Republican Party) ran for election for Harris County District Attorney in Texas. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Simons completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Dan Simons was born in Galveston, Texas. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1996 to 1999. Simons earned a high school diploma from Colmesneil High School, a bachelor's degree from Sam Houston State University in 2008, a law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 2011, and a graduate degree from the University of Houston in 2013. His career experience includes working as a lawyer and business owner.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2024)

General election

General election for Harris County District Attorney

Sean Teare defeated Dan Simons in the general election for Harris County District Attorney on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sean Teare (D)	50.8	741,397
		Dan Simons (R)	49.2	717,331

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source	Total votes: 1,458,728
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Harris County District Attorney

Sean Teare defeated incumbent Kim Ogg in the Democratic primary for Harris County District Attorney on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sean Teare	75.0	126,449
		Kim Ogg	25.0	42,149

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 168,598
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Harris County District Attorney

Dan Simons advanced from the Republican primary for Harris County District Attorney on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dan Simons	100.0	145,293

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 145,293
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Simons in this election.

2022

See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2022)

General election

General election for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 11

Incumbent Sedrick Walker II defeated Dan Simons in the general election for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 11 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Sedrick Walker II (D)	50.6	533,538
		Dan Simons (R)	49.4	520,782

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,054,320
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 11

Incumbent Sedrick Walker II advanced from the Democratic primary for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 11 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Sedrick Walker II	100.0	136,409

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 136,409
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 11

Dan Simons advanced from the Republican primary for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 11 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dan Simons	100.0	131,975

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 131,975
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

General election

General election for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 8

Franklin Bynum defeated Dan Simons in the general election for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 8 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Franklin Bynum (D)	56.3	663,650
		Dan Simons (R)	43.7	515,368

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,179,018
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 8

Franklin Bynum advanced from the Democratic primary for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 8 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Franklin Bynum	100.0	129,136

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 129,136
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 8

Dan Simons defeated incumbent Jay Karahan in the Republican primary for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 8 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dan Simons	70.7	87,316
		Jay Karahan	29.3	36,218

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 123,534
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Selection method

See also: Partisan election of judges

Judges of the county courts are elected in partisan elections by the county they serve and serve four-year terms, with vacancies filled by a vote of the county commissioners.

Qualifications
To serve on a county court, a judge must:

• be at least 25 years old;
• be a resident of his or her respective county for at least two years; and
• have practiced law or served as a judge for at least four years preceding the election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Dan Simons completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Simons' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I spent my childhood in poverty and the foster care system. Without a stable home or support system, I knew life would be a challenge if I didn’t fight for my future.

Prioritizing my education, I became the only member of my family to graduate from high school, eventually graduating with honors from Thurgood Marshall College of Law in Houston.

Between high school and college, I served our nation in the United States Air Force before entering the practice of law.

I went on to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, trying thousands of cases and achieving an 84% conviction rate.

I currently run my own practice, where I continue to fight for justice every day.

Battling through my difficult childhood instilled in me a passion for fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Victims of crime must receive the respect, protection, and justice they deserve. My opponent would eliminate cash bonds and allow rapists and murderers back on the streets; I want to ensure that we keep violent criminals locked up. As an Assistant District Attorney, I tried thousands of cases, achieving an 84% conviction rate. I remain dedicated to pursing justice for victims of crime and keeping dangerous criminals behind bars.
• There is not a one-size-fits-all approach for defendants. Each defendant must be evaluated as an individual, considering factors such as criminal history, to ensure their return to court and to protect all Harris County citizens. A cash bond system that is tailored to defendants’ chance of recidivism and flight risk is critical in ensuring the safety of Harris County residents.
• We must hold our elected officials accountable and prosecute all instances of public corruption. Too often politicians abuse their power and violate the trust of their constituents. No one is above the law, and our elected officials must be held accountable for violations.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about providing public safety to our county with policies that hold criminals accountable for their actions.

We can hold people accountable and treat each case individually. Some cases may qualify for a chance to earn a dismissal, some cases require probation, other cases require jail or prison, and some cases require the death penalty.

We must prosecute public corruption and hold offenders accountable for their actions regardless of party affiliation. No one is above the law.

I would like to end the failed bond reform and return discretion to judges to consider the listed factors when setting bail. Some cases should still qualify for a PR bond while others require a cash bond.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

It is vital that elected officials remember that they work for the people that elect them. My opponent wants to turn Houston into the next Chicago, allowing crime to soar. Lenient sentences and weak prosecutors are not in the best interest of Harris County residents.

While my opponent is bankrolled by George Soros and plans to turn Houston into the next Chicago or San Francisco, I am dedicated to protecting and serving the interests of the people of Harris County.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Despite growing up homeless and in foster care, I managed to overcome a massive amount of adversity. I know what it means to be falsely accused and fight to clear my name. Battling through my difficult childhood instilled in me a passion for fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves.

My personal background is complemented by my time as a prosecutor in the District Attorney’s office and now, as a criminal defense attorney. Additionally, I have over 16 years of experience owning businesses and a criminal law practice.

I am running to serve and protect all residents of Harris County. My opponent is running to serve the radical agenda of George Soros and other leftists that are looking to turn our city into the next Chicago or San Francisco.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

First and foremost, the District Attorney is responsible for respecting and protecting victims of crime. Prosecuting dangerous criminals to the fullest extent of the law in a timely manner is critical in achieving this mission. A backlogged criminal justice system leaves room for victims to fall through the cracks and criminals to be given lenient sentences or to be released improperly. This is a dangerous situation and one I have every intention of remedying.

My Soros-funded opponent refuses to prosecute rapists and murderers to the fullest extent of the law, endangering our community. As the District Attorney, he would work to make Houston the next Chicago or San Francisco.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event I remember is 9/11. I was 23 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first real job was joining the United States Air Force. I signed up for one term.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I am endorsed by Mattress Mack (Jim McIngvale), the Houston Police Officers' Union, Congressman Dan Crenshaw, Congressman Brian Babin, State Senator Mayes Middleton, State Senator Paul Bettencourt, State Representative Tom Oliverson, State Representative Lacey Hull, State Representative Dennis Paul, State Representative Valoree Swanson, Houston City Councilman Mike Knox, Houston City Councilman Fred Flickinger, Pasadena City Councilman Thomas Schoenbein, former County Commissioner Steve Radack, and former Judge John Schmude.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

This is critical. Public trust in their elected officials and the criminal justice system must be maintained. Citizens have a right to know how their taxes are being used, and it is our job to ensure we use their money efficiently to improve their lives. That is why public corruption will be a top priority of my administration. I plan to assemble the best public corruption team in the state to combat the corruption problem that plagues Harris County.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Dan Simons did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

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2024 Elections

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