A major portion of any Texan’s ballot includes a long list of judicial races.
Republicans dominate the statewide judgeships while Democrats have a lock on the district bench seats in Bexar County, but this year’s primaries saw a number of shakeups that ensured some new faces on the bench come November — from Attorney General Ken Paxton’s meddling in the Criminal Court of Appeals’ GOP primaries to a Democratic infighting in local races.
Meanwhile, Republicans are trying to pick up three seats on the Fourth Court of Appeals — a region made up of both deep blue South Texas and the bright red Hill Country — which has delivered some razor-thin political outcomes in recent years.
Here’s what to know about the judicial races on your ballot in Bexar County:
Texas Supreme Court
Republicans currently control all nine seats on Texas’ Supreme Court. This year, Democrats are challenging three GOP incumbents who are up for reelection. Winners serve six-year terms with no term limits.
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 2
Blacklock, age 44, previously served as Gov. Greg Abbott's general council, and worked under Abbott in the Texas Attorney General's office. Earlier in his career he worked for the U.S. Department of Justice under President George W. Bush.
Texas Supreme Court Place 2
Republican
Incumbent
Jones, age 46, is a U.S. Army veteran who currently serves as a criminal district court judge in Harris County. He received his law degree from Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston.
Texas Supreme Court Place 2
Democrat
Challenger
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 4
Devine, age 65, was first elected to the Texas Supreme Court in 2012. The Indiana-native started his career working for Shell Oil Co., attended South Texas College of Law and later served as a district court judge in Harris County.
Texas Supreme Court Place 4
Republican
Incumbent
Vihn Weems is a civil district court judge in Harris County. She attended South Texas College of Law and has a background in anti-trust litigation as well as corporate tort cases.
Texas Supreme Court Place 4
Democrat
Challenger
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 6
Bland, age 59, has served on the Texas Supreme Court since 2019. She received her law degree from the University of Texas and previously served on the First Court of Appeals.
Texas Supreme Court Place 6
Republican
Incumbent
Goldstein, age 63, serves on the 5th District Court of Appeals in Dallas. She received her law degree from The George Washington University.
Texas Supreme Court Place 6
Democrat
Challenger
Roberson received his law degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston. He has a background in litigation and tax law, and currently works for Prime Tax Group LLC.
Texas Supreme Court Place 6
Libertarian
Challenger
The Court of Criminal Appeals
This is Texas’ highest court for criminal cases and Republicans currently control all nine seats.
However, the three seats that are up for reelection in November all feature open races after three Republican incumbents were all booted in the primary by candidates backed by Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton got involved in the races because the court ruled that he didn’t have unlimited authority to find and prosecute voter fraud.
Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals
Schneck defeated incumbent Presiding Judge Sharon Keller in the Republican primary. He received his law degree from Baylor University and previously served on the Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals.
Criminal Court of Appeals Presiding Judge
Republican
Taylor currently works for the Travis County District Attorney's Office. She received her law degree from the University of Texas and previously served as a staff attorney for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
Criminal Court of Appeals Presiding Judge
Democrat
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 7
Parker started her career in home building before receiving her law degree from Baylor University. She lives in Waco, Texas, and has worked as a city attorney, assistant county attorney and assistant district attorney.
Criminal Court of Appeals Place 7
Republican
Mulder currently presides over a felony court with jurisdiction in Dallas County. She received her law degree from St. Mary's University and previously served as an Assistant District Attorney for Dallas County.
Criminal Court of Appeals Place 7
Democrat
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8
Finley defeated incumbent Judge Michelle Slaughter in the Republican primary and now faces Democrat Chika Anyiam in November. He is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who has practiced law in Collin County for 20 years.
Criminal Court of Appeals Place 8
Republican
Anyiam currently presides over a criminal court with jurisdiction in Dallas County. She attended The Nigerian Law School and is a proponent of alternative sentencing and bail reform, according to her campaign website.
Criminal Court of Appeals Place 8
Democrat
Fourth Court of Appeals
Based in San Antonio, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals is a seven-judge body that hears appellate cases from 32 counties in the Hill Country and South Texas. That combination of red and blue territory has delivered some nail-biter races in recent years.
Democrats control all but one seat, yet did not field a candidate to run against lone GOP incumbent Lori Valenzuela, who is up for reelection this year.
Instead, two Democrats fought over Place 2 in the primary, while Republicans fielded challengers to run against three other Democratic incumbents on the ballot this November.
Justice, 4th Court of Appeals District, Place 2
Meza defeated incumbent Judge Beth Watkins in the Democratic primary and is now running unopposed in November. She currently presides over a criminal district court in Bexar County.
4th Court of Appeals Place 2
Democrat
Justice, 4th Court of Appeals District, Place 3
McCray, age 61, received his law degree from St. Mary's University and has practiced criminal law, including appellate work, for more than 30 years in state and federal court. He also has served as a lead prosecutor in two Texas district attorney offices.
4th Court of Appeals Place 3
Republican Party
Chapa, age 44, received her law degree from St. Mary's University and currently presides over a criminal district court in Bexar County. She practiced law in the areas of criminal, personal injury, real estate, business law, civil litigation and family law.
4th Court of Appeals Place 3
Democratic Party
Justice, 4th Court of Appeals District, Place 4
Brissette, age 56, received her law degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston. She has experience as a litigator and appellate practitioner, and previously served as a district court judge in Bexar County.
4th Court of Appeals Place 4
Republican Party
Challenger
Chapa, age 51, has served on the 4th Court of Appeals since 2013. The El Paso native received her law degree from St. Mary's University, and her legal practice concentrated on product liability litigation.
4th Court of Appeals Place 4
Democratic Party
Incumbent
Justice, 4th Court of Appeals District, Place 5
Spears, age 49, has served as assistant city attorney for several Texas cities, a municipal judge and a prosecutor. He received his law degree from St. Mary's University and has a background in litigation, election law and appellate matters.
4th Court of Appeals Place 5
Republican
Challenger
Rodriguez, age 53, has served on the 4th Court of Appeals since 2018. She previously worked as an assistant district attorney and had a legal practice focused on criminal defense and family law.
4th Court of Appeals Place 5
Democratic Party
Incumbent
Justice, 4th Court of Appeals District, Place 7
Valenzuela is currently the court's lone Republican, appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2021 and reelected in 2022. She received her law degree from St. Mary's University and presided over a criminal district court in Bexar County.
Texas Fourth District Court of Appeals Place 7
Republican Party
Incumbent
District courts
Bexar County’s last remaining Republican district court judges were swept out of office in 2022 , completing a wipeout that started in 2018. This year, no Republican candidates even signed up to run.
All of the incumbent district court judges on the ballot this November are running unopposed. The only new face will be in the 734rd Civil District Court, where Elizabeth Martinez advanced from a three-way Democratic primary to replace retired Judge David Canales (D).
District Judge, 37th Judicial District
Garza started her career as a teacher before attending law school at St. Mary's University, and interned for then-Civil District Court Judge Peter Sakai. She was elected to the bench in 2020 and is running unopposed for a second term.
37th Civil District Court
Democratic Party
Incumbent
District Judge, 57th Judicial District
Arteaga was first elected to the 57th Civil District Court in 2008. She received her law degree from St. Mary's University and previously served a magistrate and associate judge for the City of San Antonio, appointed by then-Mayor Phil Hardberger.
57th Civil District Court
Democrat
Incumbent
District Judge, 73rd Judicial District
Martinez, age 40, advanced from a three-way Democratic primary this year to replace retiring Judge David Canales (D). The San Antonio native received her law degree from the University of Akron in Ohio.
73rd Civil District Court
Democrat
District Judge, 131st Judicial District
Gonzales has presided over the 131st Civil District Court since 2016. She grew up in San Antonio and received her law degree from the University of Texas, then went on to serve as an assistant District Attorney for Bexar County and practice family law. Read more After 2022 sweep, Bexar County Republicans throw in the […]
131st Civil District Court
Democrat
Incumbent
District Judge, 166th Judicial District
Salinas has presided over the 166th Civil District Court since 2012. She received her law degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Read more After 2022 sweep, Bexar County Republicans throw in the towel on judicial races
166th Civil District Court
Democrat
Incumbent
District Judge, 175th Judicial District
Torres-Stahl has presided over the 175th Criminal District Court since 2016. She received her law degree from St. Mary's University and served as an assistant District Attorney in Bexar County and later as general counsel for the Bexar County Community Supervision and Corrections Department.
175th Criminal District Court
Democrat
Incumbent
District Judge, 379th Judicial District
Rangel has presided over the 379th District Court in 2008, and previously served as the Bexar County Local Administrative Judge. He has a law degree from St. Mary's University of San Antonio and previously worked as a prosecutor in Hidalgo County.
379th Criminal District Court
Democrat
Incumbent
District Judge, 386th Judicial District
Valdes was first elected to the Juvenile District Court in 2020. After receiving her law degree from St. Mary’s University she practiced criminal defense before going to work for the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office in the Juvenile Section. She currently presides over several juvenile specialty courts. Read more After 2022 sweep, Bexar County Republicans […]
Bexar County Commissioners Court Precinct 2
Democrat
Incumbent
District Judge, 399th Judicial District
Castro has presided over the 399th Criminal District Court since 2016. The corpus Christie native attended St. Mary's University for law school and has worked as a prosecutor, a personal injury lawyer and as a criminal defense attorney.
399th Criminal District Court
Democrat
Incumbent
District Judge, 407th Judicial District
Torres has presided over the 407th Civil District Court since 2020. She received her law degree from St. Mary's University and previously served as a judge in Bexar County Court at Law No. 10.
407th Civil District Court
Democrat
Incumbent
District Judge, 408th Judicial District
Jimenez has presided over the 408th Civil District Court since 2020. She started her career as a banker and financial adviser before receiving her law degree at St. Mary's University. She has a background in civil and family law.
408th District Court
Democrat
Incumbent
District Judge, 438th Judicial District
Alvarado has presided over the 438th Civil District Court since 2016. She received her law degree from St. Mary's University, and has served on the Texas Children's Commission. She was elected by colleagues to serve as the Bexar County Local Administrative District Judge from 2022 to 2023.
438th Civil District Court
Democrat
Incumbent
Probate Court No. 3
Scharf-Zeldes was selected by Bexar County Commissioners to oversee this newly-created court, which helps distribute people's property after they die. She has a law degree from St. Mary's University and previously worked as an associate judge for a different county probate court.
Bexar County Probate Court No. 3
Democrat
Incumbent
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