Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo named to TIME Magazine's 100 Next list

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- TIME Magazine is assembling their second annual 100 Next list of emerging leaders who are shaping the future, and they've chosen Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo to join those ranks.

The list encompasses "doctors and scientists fighting COVID-19, advocates pushing for equality and justice, journalists standing up for truth, and artists sharing their visions of present and future," according to TIME.

Hidalgo is on a list that also boasts Amanda Gorman, the 22-year-old poet who captivated a worldwide audience during the President Biden inauguration; Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, the Senate newcomers whose victories swayed control of the U.S. chamber; and Lil' Baby, the chart-topping entertainer.

Hidalgo, elected Harris County Judge in 2018 when she was 27 years old, is honored in a tribute by former congressman Beto O'Rourke in which he noted her intelligence, tenacity and humility.

"It's hard to imagine a tougher set of circumstances to confront in your first term in office, but she has really distinguished herself and makes us proud," wrote O'Rourke.

Originally from Colombia and raised in Peru and Mexico, Hidalgo emigrated to the U.S. in 2005. She attended Houston-area public schools and graduated from Stanford University with a degree in public science the same year she became a U.S. citizen.