HOUSTON — The political fallout from the dispute between Lina Hidalgo and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo intensified Friday after Paul Bettencourt called on the county judge to resign.
In a statement posted on X, Bettencourt criticized Hidalgo over the escalating controversy—dubbed “Rodeo-gate”—and rejected her suggestion that the incident involved bias.
“This whole ‘Rodeo-gate’ is foolishness and reckless behavior unbefitting the elected County Judge of the nation’s third-largest county,” Bettencourt said. “She should resign, period.”
The controversy stems from Hidalgo’s removal from a sold-out Megan Moroney concert Tuesday night at NRG Stadium after attempting to enter the chute area, a premium seating section near the rodeo arena, without a valid ticket.
Rodeo officials said Hidalgo had previously been given 21 chute tickets for earlier concerts—including shows by J Balvin, Dwight Yoakam, and Luke Bryan—with a total value of nearly $9,000.
Following the dispute, rodeo leadership revoked Hidalgo’s ex-officio director status on the rodeo’s board. Board Chairwoman Pat Mann Phillips said the organization must enforce the same access policies for everyone and rejected Hidalgo’s claim that she was targeted because she is a woman or Hispanic.
“The idea that she was treated this way because she’s a woman or Hispanic is absolutely false and insulting,” Phillips said in a statement.
Hidalgo, however, has maintained that she was treated unfairly and said she reviewed available video footage of the incident but could not find clear evidence showing the full interaction. In a social media post, she said she was making her final statement on the matter and would move forward.
“I think at this point, we’ve done all we can do, and I am moving forward from this,” Hidalgo wrote.
Hidalgo has already announced she will not seek reelection for a third term as Harris County judge. Bettencourt, however, said she should not wait until the end of her term to step down.
