Texas Supreme Court

Texas Supreme Court
Court Information
	Justices: 9
	Founded: 1876
	Location: Austin
Salary
	Associates: $184,800
Judicial Selection
	Method: Partisan election
	Term: 6 years
Active justices
	Brett Busby; Debra Lehrmann; Evan Young; Jane Bland; Jeffrey S. Boyd; Jimmy Blacklock; John Devine (Texas); Nathan Hecht; Rebeca Huddle;

Founded in 1836, the Texas Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort for civil matters and has nine judgeships. The current chief of the court is Nathan Hecht.

As of January 2023, all nine judges on the court identified with the Republican Party.

The Texas Supreme Court meets in Austin, Texas.^[2]

In Texas, state supreme court justices are elected in partisan elections. There are eight states that use this selection method. To read more about the partisan election of judges, click here.

Courthouse of the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin

Jurisdiction

The caseload of the Texas Supreme Court is determined by whether the court decides to grant a review of a judgment. The court has mandatory jurisdiction over writs of mandamus and habeas corpus.

The Supreme Court also has jurisdiction to answer questions of state law certified from a federal appellate court; has original jurisdiction to issue writs and to conduct proceedings for the involuntary retirement or removal of judges; and reviews cases involving attorney discipline upon appeal from the Board of Disciplinary Appeals of the State Bar of Texas."^[3]

The following text from Article V, Section 3 of the Texas Constitution covers the organization and jurisdiction of the court:

“

Jurisdiction of Supreme Court; Writs; Clerk

(a) The Supreme Court shall exercise the judicial power of the state except as otherwise provided in this Constitution. Its jurisdiction shall be co-extensive with the limits of the State and its determinations shall be final except in criminal law matters. Its appellate jurisdiction shall be final and shall extend to all cases except in criminal law matters and as otherwise provided in this Constitution or by law. The Supreme Court and the Justices thereof shall have power to issue writs of habeas corpus, as may be prescribed by law, and under such regulations as may be prescribed by law, the said courts and the Justices thereof may issue the writs of mandamus, procedendo, certiorari and such other writs, as may be necessary to enforce its jurisdiction. The Legislature may confer original jurisdiction on the Supreme Court to issue writs of quo warranto and mandamus in such cases as may be specified, except as against the Governor of the State.

(b) The Supreme Court shall also have power, upon affidavit or otherwise as by the court may be determined, to ascertain such matters of fact as may be necessary to the proper exercise of its jurisdiction.^[4]^[5]

”

—Texas Constitution, Article V, Section 3

Justices

The table below lists the current justices of the Texas Supreme Court, their political party, and when they assumed office.

Office	Name	Party	Date assumed office
Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice	Nathan Hecht	Republican	October 1, 2013
Texas Supreme Court Place 2	Jimmy Blacklock	Republican	January 2, 2018
Texas Supreme Court Place 3	Debra Lehrmann	Republican	June 21, 2010
Texas Supreme Court Place 4	John Devine	Republican	January 1, 2013
Texas Supreme Court Place 5	Rebeca Huddle	Republican	October 30, 2020
Texas Supreme Court Place 6	Jane Bland	Republican	August 26, 2019
Texas Supreme Court Place 7	Jeffrey S. Boyd	Republican	December 3, 2012
Texas Supreme Court Place 8	Brett Busby	Republican	March 20, 2019
Texas Supreme Court Place 9	Evan Young	Republican	November 9, 2021

Chief justice

Nathan Hecht (R) was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas by Governor Rick Perry (R) on September 10, 2013. Hecht was re-elected in 2014 and 2020.^[6]^[7]

Vacancies

As of November 12, 2021, there were no vacancies on the Texas Supreme Court, out of the court's nine judicial positions.

Judicial selection

See also: Judicial selection in Texas

The nine justices of the Texas Supreme Court are selected in statewide partisan elections. The elected justices serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to remain on the court.^[8]

Qualifications

To serve on the Supreme Court, a justice must be:

a U.S. citizen;
a resident of Texas;
licensed to practice law in the state;
between the ages of 35 and 75;^[9]^[10] and
a practicing lawyer and/or justice for at least 10 years.^[8]

Chief justice

The chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court is selected by voters at large. He or she serves in that capacity for a full six-year term.^[8]

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts

In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement who must be confirmed by the Texas Senate. The appointee serves until the next general election, in which he or she may compete to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.^[8]

The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.

Elections

See also: Texas Supreme Court elections

2024

See also: Texas Supreme Court elections, 2024

Texas is one of two states with two courts of last resort. The Texas Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort for civil matters. The terms of three Texas Supreme Court justices will expire on December 31, 2024. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the state's court of last resort for criminal matters. The terms of three court of criminal appeals justices will expire on December 31, 2024. All six seats are up for partisan election on November 5, 2024. The primary was March 5, 2024, and a primary runoff was May 28, 2024. The filing deadline was December 11, 2023.

Candidates and results

Texas Supreme Court

Place 2

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 2

Incumbent Jimmy Blacklock and DaSean Jones are running in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 2 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		Jimmy Blacklock (R)
		DaSean Jones (D)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2

DaSean Jones defeated Randy Sarosdy in the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2 on March 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	DaSean Jones	59.6	529,623
	Randy Sarosdy	40.4	359,402

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 889,025
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2

Incumbent Jimmy Blacklock advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jimmy Blacklock	100.0	1,749,450

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,749,450
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Place 4

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 4

Incumbent John Devine, Christine Weems, and Matthew Sercely are running in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 4 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		John Devine (R)
		Christine Weems (D)
		Matthew Sercely (L)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4

Christine Weems advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christine Weems	100.0	825,485

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 825,485
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4

Incumbent John Devine defeated Brian Walker in the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4 on March 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	John Devine	50.4	921,556
	Brian Walker	49.6	905,418

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,826,974
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 4

Matthew Sercely advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 4 on April 14, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Matthew Sercely (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Place 6

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Incumbent Jane Bland, Bonnie Lee Goldstein, and David Roberson are running in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		Jane Bland (R)
		Bonnie Lee Goldstein (D)
		David Roberson (L)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Bonnie Lee Goldstein defeated Joe Pool Jr. in the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on March 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Bonnie Lee Goldstein	73.1	646,690
	Joe Pool Jr.	26.9	237,465

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 884,155
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Incumbent Jane Bland advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jane Bland	100.0	1,690,507

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,690,507
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

David Roberson advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on April 14, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		David Roberson (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Presiding judge

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge

Holly Taylor and David Schenck are running in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		Holly Taylor (D)
		David Schenck (R)

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge

Holly Taylor advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Holly Taylor	100.0	829,500

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 829,500
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge

David Schenck defeated incumbent Sharon Keller in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge on March 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	David Schenck	62.6	1,174,795
	Sharon Keller	37.4	702,464

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,877,259
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Place 7

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Nancy Mulder, Gina Parker, and Mark Ash are running in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		Nancy Mulder (D)
		Gina Parker (R)
		Mark Ash (L)

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Nancy Mulder advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Nancy Mulder	100.0	819,154

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 819,154
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Gina Parker defeated incumbent Barbara Hervey in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on March 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Gina Parker	66.1	1,210,956
	Barbara Hervey	33.9	621,660

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,832,616
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Mark Ash advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on April 14, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Mark Ash (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Place 8

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

Chika Anyiam, Lee Finley, and Stephan Kinsella are running in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		Chika Anyiam (D)
		Lee Finley (R)
		Stephan Kinsella (L)

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

Chika Anyiam advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chika Anyiam	100.0	804,891

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 804,891
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

Lee Finley defeated incumbent Michelle Slaughter in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8 on March 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Lee Finley	53.9	988,824
	Michelle Slaughter	46.1	846,549

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,835,373
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

Stephan Kinsella advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8 on April 14, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Stephan Kinsella (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2022

See also: Texas Supreme Court elections, 2022

Candidates and election results

Texas Supreme Court

Place 3

General election

General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 3

Incumbent Debra Lehrmann defeated Erin Nowell and Tom Oxford in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 3 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Debra Lehrmann (R)	56.2	4,475,136
	Erin Nowell (D)	41.8	3,330,529
	Tom Oxford (L)	2.0	162,036

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,967,701
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 3

Erin Nowell advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 3 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Erin Nowell	100.0	914,184

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 914,184
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 3

Incumbent Debra Lehrmann advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 3 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Debra Lehrmann	100.0	1,535,581

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,535,581
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 3

Tom Oxford advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 3 on April 10, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Tom Oxford (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Place 5

General election

General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 5

Incumbent Rebeca Huddle defeated Amanda Reichek in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 5 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Rebeca Huddle (R)	57.1	4,530,668
	Amanda Reichek (D)	42.9	3,406,054

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,936,722
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 5

Amanda Reichek advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 5 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Amanda Reichek	100.0	913,836

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 913,836
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 5

Incumbent Rebeca Huddle advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 5 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rebeca Huddle	100.0	1,519,069

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,519,069
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Place 9

General election

Special general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 9

Incumbent Evan Young defeated Julia Maldonado in the special general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 9 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Evan Young (R)	56.4	4,474,900
	Julia Maldonado (D)	43.6	3,458,103

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,933,003
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 9

Julia Maldonado advanced from the special Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 9 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Julia Maldonado	100.0	922,595

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 922,595
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 9

Incumbent Evan Young defeated David Schenck in the special Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 9 on March 1, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Evan Young	54.9	860,852
	David Schenck	45.1	708,359

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,569,211
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Place 2

General election

The general election was canceled. Incumbent Mary Lou Keel won election in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2

Incumbent Mary Lou Keel advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Lou Keel	100.0	1,485,583

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,485,583
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Place 5

General election

General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5

Incumbent Scott Walker defeated Dana Huffman in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Scott Walker (R)	56.9	4,513,500
	Dana Huffman (D)	43.1	3,413,071

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,926,571
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5

Dana Huffman advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dana Huffman	100.0	911,472

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 911,472
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5

Incumbent Scott Walker defeated Clint Morgan in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5 on March 1, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Scott Walker	56.6	884,160
	Clint Morgan	43.4	677,504

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,561,664
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Place 6

General election

General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6

Incumbent Jesse McClure defeated Robert Johnson in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jesse McClure (R)	57.2	4,526,307
	Robert Johnson (D)	42.8	3,383,705

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,910,012
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6

Robert Johnson advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Robert Johnson	100.0	906,119

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 906,119
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6

Incumbent Jesse McClure advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jesse McClure	100.0	1,474,886

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,474,886
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2020

See also: Texas Supreme Court elections, 2020

Candidates and election results

Texas Supreme Court

Chief justice

General election

General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice

Incumbent Nathan Hecht defeated Amy Clark Meachum and Mark Ash in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Nathan Hecht (R)	53.0	5,827,085
	Amy Clark Meachum (D)	44.5	4,893,402
	Mark Ash (L)	2.5	277,491

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,997,978
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Charles E. Waterbury (G)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice

Amy Clark Meachum defeated Jerry Zimmerer in the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice on March 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Amy Clark Meachum	80.5	1,434,175
	Jerry Zimmerer	19.5	347,186

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,781,361
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

William McLeod (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice

Incumbent Nathan Hecht advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Nathan Hecht	100.0	1,718,096

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,718,096
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Green convention

Green convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice

Charles E. Waterbury advanced from the Green convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice on April 18, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Charles E. Waterbury (G)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice

Mark Ash advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 1 Chief Justice on August 3, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Mark Ash (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Place 6

General election

General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Incumbent Jane Bland defeated Kathy Cheng in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jane Bland (R)	55.2	6,050,534
	Kathy Cheng (D)	44.8	4,903,527

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,954,061
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Kathy Cheng defeated Larry Praeger in the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on March 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Kathy Cheng	74.5	1,310,598
	Larry Praeger	25.5	448,114

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,758,712
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Incumbent Jane Bland advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jane Bland	100.0	1,699,236

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,699,236
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Place 7

General election

General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 7

Incumbent Jeffrey S. Boyd defeated Staci Williams and William Bryan Strange in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 7 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jeffrey S. Boyd (R)	53.3	5,843,420
	Staci Williams (D)	44.4	4,861,649
	William Bryan Strange (L)	2.3	256,742

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,961,811
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 7

Staci Williams defeated Brandy Voss in the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 7 on March 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Staci Williams	65.1	1,134,105
	Brandy Voss	34.9	608,288

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,742,393
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 7

Incumbent Jeffrey S. Boyd advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 7 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeffrey S. Boyd	100.0	1,702,071

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,702,071
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 7

William Bryan Strange advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 7 on August 3, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		William Bryan Strange (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Place 8

General election

General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 8

Incumbent Brett Busby defeated Gisela Triana and Tom Oxford in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 8 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Brett Busby (R)	53.4	5,847,135
	Gisela Triana (D)	44.1	4,826,674
	Tom Oxford (L)	2.5	274,959

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,948,768
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 8

Gisela Triana defeated Peter M. Kelly in the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 8 on March 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Gisela Triana	72.0	1,251,611
	Peter M. Kelly	28.0	485,697

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,737,308
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 8

Incumbent Brett Busby advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 8 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brett Busby	100.0	1,692,583

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,692,583
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 8

Tom Oxford advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 8 on August 3, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Tom Oxford (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Place 3

General election

General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3

Incumbent Bert Richardson defeated Elizabeth Davis Frizell in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Bert Richardson (R)	54.5	5,953,924
	Elizabeth Davis Frizell (D)	45.5	4,964,460

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,918,384
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3

Elizabeth Davis Frizell defeated Dan Wood and William Demond in the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3 on March 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Elizabeth Davis Frizell	68.7	1,184,280
	Dan Wood	19.2	331,715
	William Demond	12.0	207,651

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,723,646
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3

Incumbent Bert Richardson defeated Gina Parker in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3 on March 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Bert Richardson	51.8	897,496
	Gina Parker	48.2	833,893

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,731,389
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Place 4

General election

General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4

Incumbent Kevin Patrick Yeary defeated Tina Yoo Clinton in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Kevin Patrick Yeary (R)	54.8	5,974,016
	Tina Yoo Clinton (D)	45.2	4,924,207

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,898,223
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4

Tina Yoo Clinton defeated Steven Miears in the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4 on March 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tina Yoo Clinton	80.5	1,380,356
	Steven Miears	19.5	334,474

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,714,830
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4

Incumbent Kevin Patrick Yeary advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kevin Patrick Yeary	100.0	1,679,193

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,679,193
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Place 6

See also: Texas Supreme Court justice vacancy (December 2020)

Justice Michael Keasler's term expired on December 31, 2020. Keasler was required to leave office by a mandatory-retirement provision in the Texas Constitution.

Mike Snipes (D) had declared his candidacy for the seat prior to Texas' statewide filing deadline. However, Keasler's seat was ultimately not up for election in 2020. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) chose Keasler's replacement.^[11]

Place 9

General election

General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9

Incumbent David Newell defeated Brandon Birmingham in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	David Newell (R)	55.3	6,015,909
	Brandon Birmingham (D)	44.7	4,863,142

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,879,051
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9

Brandon Birmingham advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brandon Birmingham	100.0	1,570,444

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,570,444
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9

Incumbent David Newell advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Newell	100.0	1,676,841

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,676,841
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

See also: Texas Supreme Court elections, 2018

Candidates and results

Texas Supreme Court

Place 2

General election

General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 2

Incumbent Jimmy Blacklock defeated Steven Kirkland in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 2 on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jimmy Blacklock (R)	53.2	4,358,756
	Steven Kirkland (D)	46.8	3,838,411

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,197,167
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2

Steven Kirkland advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Steven Kirkland

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2

Incumbent Jimmy Blacklock advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 2 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Jimmy Blacklock

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.
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Place 4

General election

General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 4

Incumbent John Devine defeated R.K. Sandill in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 4 on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	John Devine (R)	53.7	4,399,890
	R.K. Sandill (D)	46.3	3,792,144

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,192,034
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4

R.K. Sandill advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		R.K. Sandill

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4

Incumbent John Devine advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 4 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		John Devine

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.
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Place 6

General election

General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Incumbent Jeff Brown defeated Kathy Cheng in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jeff Brown (R)	53.7	4,404,602
	Kathy Cheng (D)	46.3	3,796,001

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,200,603
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Kathy Cheng advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Kathy Cheng

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6

Incumbent Jeff Brown advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 6 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Jeff Brown

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.
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Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Presiding judge

General election

General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge

Incumbent Sharon Keller defeated Maria T. Jackson and William Bryan Strange in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Sharon Keller (R)	52.2	4,288,913
	Maria T. Jackson (D)	45.5	3,734,179
	William Bryan Strange (L)	2.3	187,384

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,210,476
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge

Maria T. Jackson advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Maria T. Jackson

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge

Incumbent Sharon Keller defeated David Bridges in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge on March 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Sharon Keller	52.1	671,361
	David Bridges	47.9	616,096

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 1,287,457
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Place 7

General election

General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Incumbent Barbara Hervey defeated Ramona Franklin in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Barbara Hervey (R)	54.2	4,429,113
	Ramona Franklin (D)	45.8	3,750,114

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,179,227
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Ramona Franklin advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Ramona Franklin

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7

Incumbent Barbara Hervey advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 7 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Barbara Hervey

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.
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Place 8

General election

General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

Michelle Slaughter defeated Mark Ash in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8 on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Michelle Slaughter (R)	74.7	4,760,576
	Mark Ash (L)	25.3	1,614,119

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,374,695
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8

Michelle Slaughter defeated Jay Brandon and Dib Waldrip in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 8 on March 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Michelle Slaughter	52.8	666,763
	Jay Brandon	30.7	387,751
	Dib Waldrip	16.4	207,209

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 1,261,723
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2016

Main article: Texas Supreme Court elections, 2016

Three seats on the Texas Supreme Court were on the general election ballot on November 8, 2016, with a primary held on March 1.

These seats were held by Justice Debra Lehrmann (R), Justice Paul Green (R), and Justice Eva Guzman (R) heading into the election. Each justice elected to the court serves a six-year term. The court had a 9-0 Republican majority prior to the 2016 election and hold it following the election.

General election candidates

Place 3

■ Mike Westergren (D)
■ Debra Lehrmann (R) (Incumbent)
■ Kathie Glass (Lib.)
■ Rodolfo Rivera Munoz (Green)

Place 5

■ Dori Garza (D)
■ Paul Green (R) (Incumbent)
■ Tom Oxford (Lib.)
■ Charles E. Waterbury (Green)

Place 9

■ Savannah Robinson (D)
■ Eva Guzman (R) (Incumbent)
■ Don Fulton (Lib.)
■ Jim Chisholm (Green)

Election results

November 8 general election

Incumbent Debra Lehrmann defeated Mike Westergren, Kathie Glass and Rodolfo Rivera Munoz in the general election for the Texas Supreme Court, Place 3.

Texas Supreme Court, Place 3, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Debra Lehrmann Incumbent	54.84%	4,807,986
	Democratic	Mike Westergren	38.53%	3,378,163
	Libertarian	Kathie Glass	3.97%	348,376
	Green	Rodolfo Rivera Munoz	2.65%	232,646
Total Votes (100% reporting)				8,767,171
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

Incumbent Paul Green defeated Dori Garza, Tom Oxford and Charles E. Waterbury in the general election for the Texas Supreme Court, Place 5.

Texas Supreme Court, Place 5, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Paul Green Incumbent	54.30%	4,758,334
	Democratic	Dori Garza	41.18%	3,608,634
	Libertarian	Tom Oxford	3.29%	288,504
	Green	Charles E. Waterbury	1.23%	107,731
Total Votes (100% reporting)				8,763,203
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

Incumbent Eva Guzman defeated Savannah Robinson, Don Fulton and Jim Chisholm in the general election for the Texas Supreme Court, Place 9.

Texas Supreme Court, Place 9, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Eva Guzman Incumbent	55.80%	4,884,441
	Democratic	Savannah Robinson	39.36%	3,445,959
	Libertarian	Don Fulton	3.48%	304,587
	Green	Jim Chisholm	1.36%	119,022
Total Votes (100% reporting)				8,754,009
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

March 1 primary election

Place 3

Texas Supreme Court, Place 3, Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Mike Westergren (unopposed)	100.00%	986,878
Total Votes (100% Reporting)				986,878
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

Texas Supreme Court, Place 3, Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Debra Lehrmann Incumbent	52.22%	1,131,998
	Republican	Michael Massengale	47.78%	1,035,840
Total Votes (100% Reporting)				2,167,838
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

Place 5

Texas Supreme Court, Place 5, Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Dori Garza (unopposed)	100.00%	1,022,469
Total Votes (100% Reporting)				1,022,469
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

Texas Supreme Court, Place 5, Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Paul Green Incumbent	52.06%	1,078,689
	Republican	Rick Green	47.94%	993,441
Total Votes (100% Reporting)				2,072,130
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

Place 9

Texas Supreme Court, Place 9, Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Savannah Robinson (unopposed)	100.00%	991,329
Total Votes (100% Reporting)				991,329
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

Texas Supreme Court, Place 9, Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Eva Guzman Incumbent	59.17%	1,268,415
	Republican	Joe Pool, Jr.	40.83%	875,224
Total Votes (100% Reporting)				2,143,639
Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results

2014

See also: Texas Supreme Court elections, 2014

Chief Justice

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Primary Vote	Election Vote
HechtNathan Hecht A	Yes	Republican	60.5%A	59.7% A
MoodyWilliam Moody	No	Democratic	100%A	37.2% D
OxfordTom Oxford	No	Libertarian		3.1% D
TaltonRobert Talton	No	Republican	39.5%

Place 6

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Primary Vote	Election Vote
MeyersLawrence Meyers	No	Democratic	100%A	36.5% D
AshMark Ash	No	Libertarian		3.2% D
Joe Pool, Jr.	No		28.1%
BrownJeff Brown (Texas)A	Yes	Republican	71.9%A	60.3% A

Place 7

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Primary Vote	Election Vote
BoydJeffrey S. Boyd A	Yes	Republican	100%A	58.9% A
FultonDon Fulton	No	Libertarian		2.8% D
WaterburyCharles E. Waterbury	No	Green		0.7% D
BenavidesGina Benavides	No	Democratic	100%A	37.6% D

Place 8

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Primary Vote	Election Vote
McCallySharon McCally	No		36.0%
ChisholmJim Chisholm	No	Green		9.2% D
KoelschRS Roberto Koelsch	No	Libertarian		12.0% D
JohnsonPhil Johnson A	Yes	Republican	64.0%A	78.8% A

Election history, 2008-2012 (click to expand)

2012

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Place	Primary Vote	Election Vote
MedinaDavid Medina	Yes	Republican	Place 4	46.7%
WillettDon Willett A	Yes	Republican		57.7%A	78.8% A
ChisholmJim Chisholm	No	Green	Place 9		1.3% A
DevineJohn Devine (Texas) A	No	Republican	Place 4	53.3%A	75.1% A
AshMark Ash	No	Libertarian	Place 2		3.0% A
PettyMichele Petty	No	Democratic		100%A	41.9% A
HechtNathan Hecht A	Yes	Republican	Place 1	100%A	53.7% A
KoelschRobert Stuart Koelsch	No	Libertarian	Place 2		21.2% A
SmithSteven W. Smith	No			42.2%
OxfordTom Oxford	No	Libertarian	Place 5		16.9% A

2010

See also: Texas judicial elections, 2010

There were three seats on the Texas Supreme Court up for election in 2010 - Places 3, 5, and 9. Then incumbent Justice Harriet O'Neill announced that she would not seek re-election upon the expiration of her term in 2010, opening Place 3. Incumbent Justice Paul Green's seat on the bench (Place 5) was up for election, and Eva Guzman (Place 9) who was appointed to the court in October 2009, was up for election as well.^[12]

Republican Debra Lehrmann won election to the open seat, Place 3, defeating Jill Sharp (D) and William Bryan Strange (L).

Texas Supreme Court, Place 3 2010 General election results
Candidates	Votes	Percent
Debra Lehrmann (R)	2,907,796	59.87%
Jill Sharp (D)	1,809,498	37.26%
William Bryan Strange, III (L)	138,857	2.85%

Incumbent Paul Green (R) won re-election to Place 3, defeating Bill Moody (D) and Tom Oxford (L).

Texas Supreme Court, Place 5 2010 General election results
Candidates	Votes	Percent
Paul Green (R)	2,903,359	60.02%
Bill Moody (D)	1,789,646	36.99%
Tom Oxford (L)	144,306	2.98%

Incumbent Eva Guzman (R) won election to Place 9, defeating Blake Bailey (D) and Jack Armstrong (L).

Texas Supreme Court, Place 9 2010 General election results
Candidates	Votes	Percent
Eva Guzman (R)	2,919,054	60.34%
Blake Bailey (D)	1,722,753	35.61%
Jack Armstrong (L)	195,234	4.03%

2008

See also: State Supreme Court elections, 2008

Incumbent Wallace B. Jefferson defeated Democratic challenger Jim Jordan.

Texas Supreme Court 2008 General election results
Candidates	Votes	Percent
Wallace B. Jefferson (R)	n/a	53%
Jim Jordan (D)	n/a	44%

Incumbent J. Dale Wainwright defeated Democratic challenger Sam Houston.

Texas Supreme Court, Place 7 2008 General election results
Candidates	Votes	Percent
J. Dale Wainwright (R)	3,926,015	51.1%
Sam Houston (D)	3,525,141	45.88%

Incumbent Phil Johnson defeated Democratic challenger Linda Yanez.

Texas Supreme Court, Place 8 2008 General election results
Candidates	Votes	Percent
Phil Johnson (R)	n/a	52%
Linda Yanez (D)	n/a	45%

Caseloads

The table below details the number of cases filed with the court and the number of dispositions (decisions) the court reached in each year.^[13]

Texas Supreme Court caseload data
Year	Filings	Dispositions
2021	1,314	1,264
2020	1,328	1,379
2019	1,416	1,459
2018	1,420	1,451
2017	1,319	1,285
2016	1,199	1,190
2015	1,273	1,225
2014	1,211	1,217
2013	1,226	1,264
2012	1,224	1,209
2011	1,235	1,247
2010	1,337	1,339
2009	1,245	1,196
2008	1,229	1,321
2007	1,244	1,337

Analysis

Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters (2021)

See also: Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters

Ballotpedia Courts Determiners and Dissenters navigation ad.png In 2020, Ballotpedia published Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters, a study on how state supreme court justices decided the cases that came before them. Our goal was to determine which justices ruled together most often, which frequently dissented, and which courts featured the most unanimous or contentious decisions.

The study tracked the position taken by each state supreme court justice in every case they decided in 2020, then tallied the number of times the justices on the court ruled together. We identified the following types of justices:

We considered two justices opinion partners if they frequently concurred or dissented together throughout the year.
We considered justices a dissenting minority if they frequently opposed decisions together as a -1 minority.
We considered a group of justices a determining majority if they frequently determined cases by a +1 majority throughout the year.
We considered a justice a lone dissenter if he or she frequently dissented alone in cases throughout the year.

Summary of cases decided in 2020

Number of justices: 9
Number of cases: 90
Percentage of cases with a unanimous ruling: 82.2% (74)
Justice most often writing the majority opinion: Justices Bland and Busby (10 each)
Per curiam decisions: 28
Concurring opinions: 11
Justice with most concurring opinions: Justices Guzman and Blacklock (3 each)
Dissenting opinions: 17
Justice with most dissenting opinions: Justice Boyd (6)

For the study's full set of findings in Texas, click here.

Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship (2020)

See also: Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship

Ballotpedia Courts State Partisanship navigation ad.png Last updated: June 15, 2020

In 2020, Ballotpedia published Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship, a study examining the partisan affiliation of all state supreme court justices in the country as of June 15, 2020.

The study presented Confidence Scores that represented our confidence in each justice's degree of partisan affiliation, based on a variety of factors. This was not a measure of where a justice fell on the political or ideological spectrum, but rather a measure of how much confidence we had that a justice was or had been affiliated with a political party. To arrive at confidence scores we analyzed each justice's past partisan activity by collecting data on campaign finance, past political positions, party registration history, as well as other factors. The five categories of Confidence Scores were:

Strong Democrat
Mild Democrat
Indeterminate^[14]
Mild Republican
Strong Republican

We used the Confidence Scores of each justice to develop a Court Balance Score, which attempted to show the balance among justices with Democratic, Republican, and Indeterminate Confidence Scores on a court. Courts with higher positive Court Balance Scores included justices with higher Republican Confidence Scores, while courts with lower negative Court Balance Scores included justices with higher Democratic Confidence Scores. Courts closest to zero either had justices with conflicting partisanship or justices with Indeterminate Confidence Scores.^[15]

Texas had a Court Balance Score of 10.4, indicating Republican control of the court. In total, the study found that there were 15 states with Democrat-controlled courts, 27 states with Republican-controlled courts, and eight states with Split courts. The map below shows the court balance score of each state.

Bonica and Woodruff campaign finance scores (2012)

See also: Bonica and Woodruff campaign finance scores of state supreme court justices, 2012

In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan outlook of state supreme court justices in their paper, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns." A score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology while scores below 0 were more liberal. The state Supreme Court of Texas was given a campaign finance score (CFscore), which was calculated for judges in October 2012. At that time, Texas received a score of 0.91. Based on the justices selected, Texas was the 3rd most conservative court. The study was based on data from campaign contributions by judges themselves, the partisan leaning of contributors to the judges, or—in the absence of elections—the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice but rather an academic gauge of various factors.^[16]

Noteworthy cases

The following are noteworthy cases heard before the Texas Supreme Court. For a full list of opinions published by the court, click here. Know of a case we should cover here? Let us know by emailing us.

• Texas Supreme Court rules in Boeing v. Paxton (2015)
Judge(s):John Devine (Boeing v. Paxton, No. 12-1007)

Click for summary→

In a 7-1 opinion in June 2015, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton must block the release of information from a lease between Boeing and the Port Authority of San Antonio. The reasoning was that the information, according to Boeing, could benefit the company's competitors. Previously, the state had blocked the release of information only when proprietary information and trade secrets were at stake.^[17]

The case concerned the lease between Boeing, an aerospace manufacturer, and the Port Authority for a manufacturing facility at Kelly Field Annex, formerly an air force base. In 2005, a former Boeing employee requested the release of the full lease; Paxton's office argued that Boeing's efforts to redact parts of the lease were not protected under the state's Public Information Act.^[17]

Boeing argued that information requested could allow a competitor to calculate the San Antonio operation's overhead costs, potentially putting Boeing at a disadvantage for future government projects.^[17]

Two lower courts sided with the Attorney General's office before the Supreme Court reversed their decisions and favored Boeing.^[17]

Judge John Devine wrote for the majority that the test for whether information can be blocked "is whether knowing another bidder’s overhead costs would be an advantage, not whether it would be a decisive advantage."^[17] He also cited a recent Attorney General ruling allowing Governor Greg Abbott confidentiality in his meetings with out-of-state businesses he sought to attract to Texas, on the grounds that the governor's office is a "competitor" for the business' jobs.^[17]

In the only dissent, Justice Jeffrey S. Boyd argued that Boeing's defense was "too hypothetical and speculative" to qualify for state protection.^[17] He wrote that Boeing failed to identify a specific federal contract for which it is competing or any specific competitor; he also wrote that Boeing failed to identify a specific advantage a competitor might garner through the release of the information.^[17]

The case drew attention for its reach. Within three months of the ruling, the Attorney General's office cited Boeing v. Paxton at least three times when siding with private companies under government contract.^[17]

• Texas Supreme Court rules on Open Beaches Act (2013) (Severance v. Patterson, No. 09-0387)

Click for summary→

Texans litigated beach ownership as the Texas Supreme Court heard Severance v. Patterson in January 2013 regarding the Open Beaches Act. The court overturned an appellate ruling that gave the city of Surfside the right to refuse repairs and extend utilities to beachfront homes that were determined to be in the public right-of-way due to erosion.

Thirteen beachfront homeowners argued that the Texas General Land Office's attempts to force them to remove their houses from the public right-of-way amounted to property theft. The Land Office, in a similar situation on Galveston Island, argued that state money cannot legally be spent on private property and that the erosion moving houses to the public beach made that beachfront private property.

In 2012, the court determined that the 1959 Open Beaches Act, which was voted into the state Constitution in 2009 to allow public access to beaches, did not apply in the cases of an avulsive event. Such events could include a storm, which, by no fault of the homeowners, could cause erosion and move their house to the public beach.^[18]

Ethics

The Texas Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Texas. It consists of eight overarching canons:

Canon 1: Upholding the Integrity and Independence of the Judiciary
Canon 2: Avoiding Impropriety and the Appearance of Impropriety in All of the Judge’s Activities
Canon 3: Performing the Duties of Judicial Office Impartially and Diligently
Canon 4: Conducting the Judge's Extra-Judicial Activities to Minimize the Risk of Conflict with Judicial Obligations
Canon 5: Refraining from Inappropriate Political Activity
Canon 6: Compliance with the Code of Judicial Conduct
Canon 7: Effective Date of Compliance
Canon 8: Construction and Terminology of the Code^[19]

The full text of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.

Removal of judges

Court of Appeals judges in Texas may be removed in one of three ways:

Removal or retirement by a review tribunal upon a Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct recommendation to the Supreme Court. The Commission investigates and, if warranted, prosecutes allegations of judicial misconduct. After a Commission recommendation, the Supreme Court selects a review tribunal made up of Court of Appeals judges to verify the Commission's findings and enter a judgment. Decisions are subject to appeal to the Supreme Court.
By the governor on the address of two thirds of the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives.
By a two-thirds vote of the Senate, upon impeachment by a majority vote of the House.

History of the court

The Republic of Texas' Constitution created a Supreme Court. The court consisted of a chief justice and associate justices, who were from the eight district courts of the state. These judges served with the chief justice from January 13, 1840, to December 29, 1845. At the end of 1845, Texas was admitted into the Union.^[20]

Former justices

Name:	Dates served:
All former justices of the Texas Supreme Court:^[21]	click for list →
Eva Guzman	2009-2021
Wallace B. Jefferson	2001-2013
David Medina	2004-2012
Dale Wainwright	2003-2012
Harriet O'Neill	2005-2010
Scott A. Brister	2003-2009
Priscilla R. Owen	1995-2005
Michael H. Schneider	2002-2004
Steven W. Smith	2002-2004
Thomas R. Phillips	1988-2004
Craig T. Enoch	1993-2003
Xavier Rodriguez	2001-2002
James A. Baker	1995-2002
Deborah Hankinson	1997-2002
Greg Abbott	1996-2001
Alberto R. Gonzales	1999-2000
Rose Spector	1993-1998
Raul A. Gonzalez	1984-1998
John Cornyn	1991-1997
Jack Hightower	1988-1996
Bob Gammage	1991-1995
Lloyd Doggett	1989-1994
Eugene A. Cook	1988-1992
Oscar H. Mauzy	1987-1992
C. L. Ray Jr.	1980-1990
Franklin S. Spears	1979-1990
Barbara Culver	1988
John L. Hill Jr.	1985-1988
William W. Kilgarlin	1983-1988
Ted Robertson	1982-1988
James P. Wallace	1981-1988
Sears McGee	1969-1986
Jack Pope	1965-1985
Charles W. Barrow	1977-1984
Ruby Kless Sondock	1982-1983
James G. Denton	1971-1982
Joe R. Greenhill	1957-1982
Will Garwood	1979-1980
Zollie Steakley	1961-1980
Sam Johnson	1973-1979
T. C. Chadick	1977-1978
Price Daniel	1971-1978
Don Yarbrough	1977
Thomas M. Reavley	1968-1977
Ross E. Doughty	1975-1976
Ruel C. Walker	1954-1975
Hawthorne Phillips	1972
Robert W. Calvert	1950-1972
Robert W. Hamilton	1959-1970
Clyde E. Smith	1950-1970
James R. Norvell	1957-1968
Meade F. Griffin	1949-1968
Frank P. Culver Jr.	1953-1965
J. E. Hickman	1945-1961
W. St. John Garwood	1948-1958
Abner V. McCall	1956
Will Wilson	1951-1956
Graham B. Smedley	1945-1954
John H. Sharp	1945-1952
R. H. Harvey	1949-1950
James P. Hart	1947-1950
W. M. Taylor	1945-1950
A. J. Folley	1945-1949
Gordon Simpson	1945-1949
James P. Alexander	1941-1948
C. S. Slatton	1945-1947
Richard Critz	1935-1945
John H. Sharp	1934-1945
W. F. Moore	1940-1941
C. M. Cureton	1921-1940
William Pierson	1921-1935
Thomas B. Greenwood	1918-1934
William E. Hawkins	1913-1921
Nelson Phillips	1912-1921
J. E. Yantis	1915-1918
Thomas J. Brown	1893-1915
J. B. Bibrell	1911-1913
W. F. Ramsey	1911-1912
Reuben R. Gaines	1986-1911
F. A. Williams	1899-1911
Leroy G. Denman	1894-1899
John W. Stayton	1881-1894
J. L. Henry	1889-1893
A. S. Walker	1888-1889
Asa H. Willie	1882-1888
Sawnie Robertson	1885-1886
Charles S. West	1882-1885
Micajah H. Bonner	1878-1882
Robert S. Gould	1874-1882
George F. Moore	1874-1881
Oran M. Roberts	1874-1878
John Ireland	1875-1876
Peter W. Gray	1874-1876
Reuben A. Reeves	1874-1876
Thomas J. Devine	1874-1875
William P. Ballinger	1874
J. D. McAdoo	1873-1874
Moses B. Walker	1870-1874
Wesley Ogden	1870-1874
Lemuel D. Evans	1870-1873
James Denison	1870
Moses B. Walker	1869-1870
Livingston Lindsay	1867-1870
Amos Morrill	1867-1870
Andrew J. Hamilton	1867-1869
Colbert Coldwell	1867-1869
Albert H. Latimer	1867-1869
Richard Coke	1866-1867
S. P. Donley	1866-1867
Asa H. Willie	1866-1867
George W. Smith	1866-1867
James H. Bell	1858-1864
Royall T. Wheeler	1846-1864
John Hemphil	1846-1858
Abner S. Lipscomb	1846-1856

Courts in Texas

See also: Courts in Texas

In Texas, there are four federal district courts, a state supreme court, a state court of appeals, and trial courts with both general and limited jurisdiction. These courts serve different purposes, which are outlined in the sections below.

Click a link for information about that court type.

The image below depicts the flow of cases through Texas' state court system. Cases typically originate in the trial courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system.

The structure of Texas' state court system.

Partisan control of Texas state government

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. A state supreme court plays a role in the checks and balances system of a state government.

Texas has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

External links

Footnotes

↑ The salary of the chief justice may be higher than an associate justice.
↑ Texas Judicial Branch, "Supreme Court," accessed August 31, 2021
↑ Texas Office of Court Administration, "FY 2010 Annual Report for the Texas Judiciary,"archived August 24, 2011
↑ Texas Constitution and Statutes, "Texas Constitution," accessed March 30, 2014
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Texas Tribune, "Perry: Hecht will replace Jefferson as chief justice," September 10, 2013
↑ Texas Republican Party, "Candidates for Justice, Supreme Court," archived August 5, 2012
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 ^8.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Texas," archived October 3, 2014
↑ While no justice older than 74 may run for office, sitting justices who turn 75 are permitted to remain on the court until their terms expire.
↑ Texas State Historical Association, "Judiciary," accessed September 12, 2014
↑ Off the Kuff, "You really have to plan for every election," November 10, 2019
↑ Supreme Court of Texas Blog, "Other thoughts on Justice Brister’s departure," August 17, 2009
↑ Texas Judicial Branch, “Statistics & Other Data,” accessed September 23, 2019
↑ An Indeterminate score indicates that there is either not enough information about the justice’s partisan affiliations or that our research found conflicting partisan affiliations.
↑ The Court Balance Score is calculated by finding the average partisan Confidence Score of all justices on a state supreme court. For example, if a state has justices on the state supreme court with Confidence Scores of 4, -2, 2, 14, -2, 3, and 4, the Court Balance is the average of those scores: 3.3. Therefore, the Confidence Score on the court is Mild Republican. The use of positive and negative numbers in presenting both Confidence Scores and Court Balance Scores should not be understood to that either a Republican or Democratic score is positive or negative. The numerical values represent their distance from zero, not whether one score is better or worse than another.
↑ Stanford University, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns," October 31, 2012
↑ ^17.0 ^17.1 ^17.2 ^17.3 ^17.4 ^17.5 ^17.6 ^17.7 ^17.8 Governing, "Court makes it easier for companies to keep government contracts secret in Texas," September 25, 2015
↑ The Houston Chronicle, "Texas Court hits open beaches law," January 25, 2013
↑ Texas Judicial Branch, "Texas Code of Judicial Conduct," amended August 22, 2002
↑ Supreme Court of Texas, "Court History," accessed September 23, 2019
↑ The Supreme Court of Texas, "Court History," accessed August 31, 2021

Texas courts

Federal courts:

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas

State courts:

Texas Supreme Court • Texas Court of Appeals • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals • Texas District Courts • Texas County Courts • Texas County Courts at Law • Texas Statutory Probate Courts • Texas Justice of the Peace Courts

State resources:

Courts in Texas • Texas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Texas

v • e

Texas Supreme Court
Judicial selection in Texas • 2024 elections • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals • Courts in Texas

Current

Chief Justice: Nathan Hecht • Jane Bland • Debra Lehrmann • Rebeca Huddle • John Devine (Texas) • Brett Busby • Jeffrey S. Boyd • Jimmy Blacklock • Evan Young

Former

Wallace Jefferson • Don Willett • Harriet O'Neill • David Medina • Paul Green (Texas) • Dale Wainwright • Phil Johnson • Scott Brister • Eugene Cook • Thomas Reavley • Priscilla Richman • Eva Guzman • Jeff Brown (Texas) • Samuel Johnson • Lloyd Doggett • James P. Alexander • J. E. Hickman • Robert W. Calvert • Joe R. Greenhill • Jack Pope • John L. Hill Jr. (Texas) • Thomas R. Phillips • John H. Sharp • Frank P. Culver Jr. • Ted Robertson • Priscilla R. Owen • Gordon Simpson (Texas) • R. H. Harvey • Zollie Steakley • James P. Wallace • Eugene A. Cook • Rose Spector • Graham B. Smedley • Ruel C. Walker • Ross E. Doughty • Don Yarbrough • Charles W. Barrow • Raul Gonzalez (Texas Supreme Court justice) • Alberto R. Gonzales • W. M. Taylor • Will Wilson • Abner V. McCall • James R. Norvell • Thomas M. Reavley • T. C. Chadick • Barbara Culver • Jack Hightower • W. St. John Garwood • Robert W. Hamilton • James G. Denton • Ruby Kless Sondock • James P. Hart • C. S. Slatton • Clyde E. Smith • Price Daniel • Franklin S. Spears • Deborah Hankinson • Hawthorne Phillips • Sam Johnson (Texas Supreme Court justice) • Will Garwood • C. L. Ray Jr. • Bob Gammage • James A. Baker • William W. Kilgarlin • Michael H. Schneider • A. J. Folley • Meade F. Griffin • Sears McGee • Oscar H. Mauzy • Craig T. Enoch • Oran M. Roberts • George F. Moore • Robert S. Gould • Asa H. Willie • John W. Stayton • Reuben R. Gaines • Thomas J. Brown • Nelson Phillips • C. M. Cureton • W. F. Moore • A. S. Walker • J. L. Henry • T. J. Brown • W. F. Ramsey • J. E. Yantis • Thomas B. Greenwood • Micajah H. Bonner • Charles S. West • Sawnie Robertson • Reubin R. Gaines • Leroy G. Denman • Frank A. Williams • J. B. Bibrell • William E. Hawkins • William Pierson • Richard Critz • John Hemphil • Royall T. Wheeler • Abner S. Lipscomb • James H. Bell • Reuben A. Reeves • Livingston Lindsay • Albert H. Latimer • James Denison • Colbert Coldwell • C. B. Sabin • Andrew J. Hamilton • Moses B. Walker • Wesley Ogden • Lemuel D. Evans • Richard Coke • S. P. Donley • George W. Smith • J. D. McAdoo • Thomas J. Devine • John Ireland • William P. Ballinger • Peter W. Gray •

[1] The salary of the chief justice may be higher than an associate justice.

[2] Texas Judicial Branch, "Supreme Court," accessed August 31, 2021

[jop-3] Texas Office of Court Administration, "FY 2010 Annual Report for the Texas Judiciary,"archived August 24, 2011

[tx-4] Texas Constitution and Statutes, "Texas Constitution," accessed March 30, 2014

[quotedisclaimer-5] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[6] Texas Tribune, "Perry: Hecht will replace Jefferson as chief justice," September 10, 2013

[7] Texas Republican Party, "Candidates for Justice, Supreme Court," archived August 5, 2012

[TXgeneral-8] 8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 ^8.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Texas," archived October 3, 2014

[9] While no justice older than 74 may run for office, sitting justices who turn 75 are permitted to remain on the court until their terms expire.

[hist-10] Texas State Historical Association, "Judiciary," accessed September 12, 2014

[11] Off the Kuff, "You really have to plan for every election," November 10, 2019

[12] Supreme Court of Texas Blog, "Other thoughts on Justice Brister’s departure," August 17, 2009

[13] Texas Judicial Branch, “Statistics & Other Data,” accessed September 23, 2019

[14] An Indeterminate score indicates that there is either not enough information about the justice’s partisan affiliations or that our research found conflicting partisan affiliations.

[15] The Court Balance Score is calculated by finding the average partisan Confidence Score of all justices on a state supreme court. For example, if a state has justices on the state supreme court with Confidence Scores of 4, -2, 2, 14, -2, 3, and 4, the Court Balance is the average of those scores: 3.3. Therefore, the Confidence Score on the court is Mild Republican. The use of positive and negative numbers in presenting both Confidence Scores and Court Balance Scores should not be understood to that either a Republican or Democratic score is positive or negative. The numerical values represent their distance from zero, not whether one score is better or worse than another.

[16] Stanford University, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns," October 31, 2012

[bvp-17] 17.0 ^17.1 ^17.2 ^17.3 ^17.4 ^17.5 ^17.6 ^17.7 ^17.8 Governing, "Court makes it easier for companies to keep government contracts secret in Texas," September 25, 2015

[18] The Houston Chronicle, "Texas Court hits open beaches law," January 25, 2013

[19] Texas Judicial Branch, "Texas Code of Judicial Conduct," amended August 22, 2002

[20] Supreme Court of Texas, "Court History," accessed September 23, 2019

[21] The Supreme Court of Texas, "Court History," accessed August 31, 2021

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