Texas county swears in 17 black female judges after historic midterm election

Harris County, Texas, made history on Tuesday by swearing in 17 black female judges following a massive sweep in the November midterm elections.

The women were part of a local Democratic campaign called Black Girl Magic Texas, which pulled off what is believed to be the largest group of black female judges elected at the same time in the county’s history, KHOU 11 News reported.

{mosads}Members of the public were invited to attend the swearing in ceremony, which saw a packed house, according to photos shared by KHOU

Nineteen African-American women in total will be serving on the county’s bench in 2019. The women have more than 200 years worth of experience between them all, the station noted.

“It’s a brand new day in Harris County!  Swearing in of the Newly Elected County Officials and Judges,” the group wrote on Twitter. “Today we usher in a new era of representative government and progressive leadership in Harris County.”

It’s a brand new day in Harris County! Swearing in of the Newly Elected County Officials and Judges.

Today we usher in a new era of representative government and progressive leadership in Harris County. #ItAllStartsHere pic.twitter.com/oJpjK62X1L

— Harris Democrats (@harrisdemocrats) January 1, 2019

Erica Hughes, who was sworn in as a criminal court judge, told the outlet that she couldn’t wait to start.

“I even have my stuff laid out on the bed. Kind of like the first day of school,” Hughes said.

The county, which includes Houston, is the most populous in the state of Texas, with a population of more than 4 million people.