Houston is often described as a city where people arrive from somewhere else and build something new. Orlando Sanchez’s story reflects that identity.

Born in Havana, Cuba, Sanchez left the country with his family following the Cuban Revolution. After spending a brief period in Venezuela, the family settled in Houston in 1962. Sanchez was still a young child.

More than 60 years later, Houston remains his home—and the city and surrounding county have become the center of his military service, education, civic involvement and political career.

A Family’s New Beginning in Houston

The Sanchez family’s move to Houston was closely connected to one of the city’s emerging institutions: professional baseball.

Sanchez’s father, Orlando Sanchez-Diago, was recruited to work as a Spanish-language broadcaster for the Houston Colt .45s, the baseball team that would later become the Houston Astros. His work helped bring Houston baseball to Spanish-speaking audiences during the early years of the franchise.

That opportunity brought the Sanchez family to Houston in 1962 and gave them the chance to establish a new life in the United States.

Orlando Sanchez grew up in southwest Houston and graduated from Bellaire High School. His family’s journey—from Cuba to Venezuela and ultimately Houston—would later become an important part of his public identity and his connection to Houston’s immigrant and Hispanic communities.

Military Service and a University of Houston Education

After graduating from high school, Sanchez joined the United States Air Force in 1976. Following his active-duty service, he continued serving with the Texas Air National Guard at Ellington Field.

He later attended the University of Houston, graduating cum laude with a degree in political science.

His relationship with the university continued well beyond graduation. Sanchez was named an Outstanding Young Alumnus in the social sciences in 1997 and received a Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2001. He has also served in leadership with the University of Houston Foundation, including service as chairman and investment committee chairman.

The university experience became another thread connecting his personal story to Houston. The city that gave his family a new beginning also provided the education and relationships that helped prepare him for public service.

Making History at Houston City Hall

Sanchez entered local politics during the 1990s. In 1995, Houston voters elected him to an at-large position on Houston City Council.

The election made Sanchez the first Latino immigrant elected to a citywide office in Houston. Unlike district council members, an at-large council member represents residents across the entire city, requiring Sanchez to build support among Houston’s many neighborhoods and communities.

He served six years on City Council and worked on the council’s Budget Committee. His time at City Hall helped establish his public profile and led to two campaigns for mayor of Houston, in 2001 and 2003. He advanced to a runoff election in both races.

Although he did not win the mayor’s office, the campaigns demonstrated his ability to compete citywide and increased Hispanic participation and visibility within Houston politics.

Twelve Years as Harris County Treasurer

Sanchez returned to elected office after winning the race for Harris County treasurer in 2006. He served from 2007 through 2018.

His election marked another milestone: he became the first Latino immigrant elected to a countywide, nonjudicial office in Harris County.

The treasurer’s office is responsible for receiving, safeguarding, investing and disbursing county funds. During his 12 years in the position, Sanchez emphasized government finance, investment oversight and public access to financial information. He also became a certified county investment officer and served as vice chair of the Legislative Affairs Committee for the County Treasurers Association of Texas.

His tenure placed him at the intersection of public finance and county government in one of the country’s largest and most economically significant counties.

Building Hispanic Civic Participation

Sanchez’s influence has also extended into Hispanic political engagement.

He founded Texas Latino Conservatives, an organization focused on educating and encouraging Hispanic Texans to participate in government, elections and public-policy discussions from a conservative perspective.

Through training programs, media appearances and community conversations, the organization seeks to develop future political candidates and civic leaders.

While its work is expressly conservative, its presence also reflects a broader development within Houston’s Hispanic community: Latino leadership is not confined to one political party, ideology or type of public service. Houston’s Hispanic population includes a wide range of backgrounds and viewpoints, and Sanchez has spent much of his career representing one part of that increasingly influential civic community.

Leadership Beyond Elected Office

Outside government, Sanchez has served in a variety of business, educational and community leadership positions.

In addition to his involvement with the University of Houston Foundation, his public biography lists service with banking and healthcare boards and membership in organizations including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the 100 Club of Houston.

These roles reflect an area of impact extending beyond electoral politics. His career has moved through municipal government, county finance, higher education, banking, healthcare and civic organizations—institutions that help shape Houston’s economic and community life.

A New Campaign for Harris County Judge

Sanchez is the Republican nominee for Harris County judge in the November 3, 2026, general election. He won the Republican primary runoff in May and will face Democratic nominee Letitia Plummer.

Despite the title, the Harris County judge is not primarily a courtroom judge. The office serves as the county’s chief executive and presides over Commissioners Court, with responsibilities involving budgeting, emergency management, infrastructure and other countywide services.

Sanchez has framed his campaign around his previous experience in Houston and Harris County government, fiscal oversight, public safety and the region’s economic importance.

“We are a massive economic engine,” Sanchez said while discussing Harris County’s importance to both Texas and the nation in a 2025 interview.

More Than Six Decades of Houston History

Orlando Sanchez’s Houston story began with his parents’ decision to build a new life after leaving Cuba.

It continued through southwest Houston, Bellaire High School, military service, the University of Houston, Houston City Council and the Harris County Treasurer’s Office. Today, more than 60 years after his family arrived, Sanchez remains active in the civic and political life of the region.

His story is both distinctly personal and recognizably Houston: an immigrant family arrives in a growing city, becomes part of its institutions and helps shape what the city becomes next.