Richard Joel Noriega (born January 8, 1958) is a former American politician and retired major general in the Texas Army National Guard who is currently director of Harris County Universal Services (HCUS).

[3] After graduating from Mount Carmel High School he attended Alvin Community College on a Rusk Athletic Scholarship where he played baseball.

[4] Noriega is also a graduate of the University of North Carolina's Certified Government Chief Information Officer Program.

He became a manager in the company's Economic Development Department after winning the Democratic nomination for Texas State Representative.

[9] Noriega's House district was mostly Hispanic and low income, and included many residents who never completed high school.

Noriega narrowly avoided a runoff election by receiving 51 percent of the vote in the March 4, 2008 Democratic primary.

Prior to the filing deadline, trial attorney Mikal Watts withdrew from his bid for the Democratic nomination on October 23, 2007.

[14] Noriega also authored HB 2546, a bill passed by the Texas legislature that restricts the sale of ammonium nitrate in order to prevent its use in criminal or terrorist activity such as the Oklahoma City bombing.

[15] In 2011 Noriega, then a colonel, was named commander of the Texas National Guard's 71st Theater Information Operations Group.