For Liberty County Clerk Lee Haidusek Chambers, preserving history is more than part of the job — it is personal.
A fifth-generation Liberty County resident, Chambers has spent the past eight years modernizing one of the county’s oldest offices while also protecting records that tell the story of Liberty County dating back more than 150 years. Her office oversees everything from property records and probate filings to elections, marriage licenses and historical archives.
During a recent appearance on Bluebonnet News’ Headlines and Heartlines podcast, Chambers discussed everything from her upbringing in a Liberty County rice farming family to the challenges of election administration and the ongoing effort to preserve fragile historical records that date back generations.
After running unopposed for reelection in the March 2026 primary, she now is preparing to begin her third term as county clerk in January 2027. Chambers said her unique background in law and technology has helped shape the way she approaches the office.
After graduating from Dayton High School, Chambers attended Texas A&M University, originally planning to become a patent attorney. During college, however, she took a summer job at a Beaumont law firm and quickly discovered a passion for the legal field.
“I absolutely loved it,” Chambers said. “I found it fascinating.”
She earned an engineering degree before eventually attending law school at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. While she initially focused on patent and copyright law, Chambers found herself excelling in criminal appellate work and later built a successful appellate law practice.
“I think I’m the only lawyer in Liberty County that’s been all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court,” she said.
Chambers believes her legal experience has proven invaluable in the county clerk’s office, where compliance with numerous sections of Texas law is a daily responsibility.
“The county clerk has to be compliant with a lot of code,” she said, noting that the office deals with everything from property law and estates to election law and criminal procedure.
Her roots in Liberty County run deep. Chambers grew up in the Dayton area as part of a longtime rice farming family. Her parents, Charles and Shirley Haidusek, were well-known in the community. Her father farmed rice in the Dayton and Devers area, while her mother served on city council in Kenefick and worked elections for many years.
“My mom was very excited that I was going to be county clerk,” Chambers said. “She got to see me sworn in before she passed away.”
Chambers said one of the biggest goals when she first took office was to improve the preservation of Liberty County’s historic records.
Liberty County, established in 1836 during the Republic of Texas era, lost many early records in a devastating courthouse fire in 1872 (sometimes referenced as 1873). Still, thousands of handwritten records dating back to that time remain in the county’s possession.
“These records were becoming yellowed and faded and torn,” Chambers said. “They needed to be treated and restored.”
Under Chambers’ leadership, the county has worked to digitize and archive birth records, death records, marriage licenses, deed records, commissioners court records and numerous other historical documents. Many can now be searched online rather than handled physically.
The preservation work is funded through a special archival fee collected by the county and has accelerated thanks to Liberty County’s rapid growth in recent years.
Among the most fragile records are old “photostat” documents — black-background copies with white lettering that are slowly fading away.
“At some point, they’ll become unreadable,” Chambers said.
The preservation process has also produced emotional moments. Chambers recalled discovering old election ballots signed by her late mother while cleaning out courthouse storage areas.
“My knees went shaky and my tears were rolling down,” she said. “Of all the ones to reach in and pull out, they were signed by my mother.”
In addition to preserving records, Chambers oversees Liberty County elections — a task she described as increasingly complex.
Her office conducts elections for county races, school districts, cities and other local entities. Staff members handle everything from ballot creation and equipment testing to poll worker training and vote tabulation.
Chambers said major changes are coming to Texas elections beginning this fall, when the state moves to a new 12-day voting system that eliminates traditional early voting periods.
“There’s going to be a lot of information coming out as we move forward,” Chambers said. “It’s a very big deal.”
Despite national concerns over election integrity, Chambers said Liberty County’s voting system includes extensive safeguards and transparency measures.
“We use print-on-demand paper ballots,” she said. “It’s about as tamper-proof a system as there is.”
She noted that Liberty County routinely audits election results and has found the machines to be consistently accurate.
Even with expanded voting access, Chambers acknowledged voter turnout remains disappointingly low.
“We have 58,361 registered voters in this county,” she said. “They’re not all voting.”
Outside the courthouse, Chambers enjoys painting, drawing and spending time with her five grandchildren. She is also a devoted Beatles fan who has traveled to London to see Paul McCartney perform in concert.
“Nothing beats grandmother,” she said when asked which of her many roles is her favorite.
Looking toward the future, Chambers hopes Liberty County can continue growing while still preserving the traditions and history that make the community unique.
“I think we have so many people moving in, and we really want them to get involved in Liberty County,” she said. “Having that history and that knowledge of where we came from and the traditions is so important.”
To hear the full podcast episode, click here: