This story is part of the San Antonio Report’s 2026 Voter Guide. You can view all of the candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot here.
In Texas, most judges are elected positions.
While they don’t get much attention on a ballot dominated by higher-profile political matchups, who voters choose to preside over state and local courts plays a major role in how quickly cases move, how the legal system treats people with underlying hardships and how much power other branches of the government are allowed to claim.
At the statewide level, Republicans have controlled every bench seat for more than three decades, and last cycle spent big money flipping seats on regional appellate courts, too.
Meanwhile, in blue Bexar County, Democrats have swept every district court judgeship and county court-at-law on the ballot since 2018.
Single-party control means much of the action already took place in the primary this year, but both parties are still fighting over an opening on the San Antonio-based Fourth Court of Appeals.
Texans are also electing the first-ever judges to a new statewide appellate court this year — part of an ongoing GOP effort to strip power from Democrats in regional appeals courts.
Read about how Texas courts have changed since the last election, and plan your ballot with our comprehensive guide to judicial races on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Voter guide profiles are compiled by San Antonio Report senior government and politics reporter Andrea Drusch using candidates’ filing paperwork, campaign materials and past news coverage. To read our Q&As with the candidates, click the links below their bios.
Key dates in the 2026 midterm election
- Oct. 5 — Voter registration deadline
- Oct. 19-30 — Early voting
- Nov. 3 — Election Day
Texas Supreme Court
The Texas Supreme Court is comprised of nine members who serve staggered, six-year terms. All positions are elected on a statewide basis, and are currently held by Republicans. Four seats are on the ballot in 2026.
Texas Supreme Court — Chief Justice
Republican Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock was appointed to the chief justice position by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2025, after the previous chief justice, Nathan Hecht, reached the state’s judicial age cap. Blacklock faces Democrat Maggie Ellis in November.
Candidates for Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice
Texas Supreme Court — Place 2
Justice James P. Sullivan was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to fill this position when Justice Jimmy Blacklock was promoted to chief justice in January of 2025. Sullivan is now running to hold it for the rest of Blacklock’s unexpired term. He faces Democrat Chari Kelly in November.
Candidates for Texas Supreme Court — Place 2
Texas Supreme Court — Place 7
Incumbent Republican Justice Kyle Hawkins was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott in October 2025 to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Jeff Boyd. He’s now running for a full term and faces Democrat Kristen Hawkins.
Candidates for Texas Supreme Court — Place 7
Texas Supreme Court — Place 8
Incumbent Republican Brett Busby was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court in 2019 when Justice Phil Johnson retired. He won a full term in 2020, and now faces a rematch with Gisela Triana in his bid for a second term.
Candidates for Texas Supreme Court — Place 8
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the highest appellate court for criminal cases in Texas. It’s comprised of nine members who are elected on a statewide basis, and serve staggered six-year terms.
All seats are currently held by Republicans, but the court experienced big turnover in last cycle’s primary last election after Attorney General Ken Paxton campaigned against long-serving Republican judges who said he didn’t have broad authority to prosecute election fraud.
Two remaining GOP judges who signed onto that ruling, Bert Richardson and David Newell, are retiring instead of seeking reelection this year. A third Republican Justice, Kevin Patrick Yeary, is seeking a third term.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals — Place 3
Incumbent Republican Justice Bert Richardson is running for a lower court instead of seeking reelection. Thomas Smith won a four-way GOP primary to take his place, and faces Democrat Okey Anyiam and Libertarian Mark Ash in November.
Candidates for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals — Place 3
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals — Place 4
Republican Justice Kevin Patrick Yeary was first elected in 2014, and is the only incumbent seeking reelection this year. He faces Democrat Audra Riley in November.
Candidates for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals — Place 4
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals — Place 9
Incumbent Justice David Newell is retiring and Republicans nominated John Messinger to take his place. He faces Democrat Holly Taylor in November.
Candidates for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals — Place 9
Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals
The 15th Court of Appeals was created during the 2023 legislative session and has jurisdiction over cases involving the state, state leaders, challenges to state law, and cases from the state’s new business court.
Such cases previously moved through regional appellate courts, including the San Antonio-based Fourth Court of Appeals, where judges are elected by the voters in a multi-county region.
But when Texas GOP leaders created a new business court to hear high-dollar corporate disputes — a concept that’s been trending among states competing for the most business-friendly reputations — they also created the new 15th Court of Appeals to hear challenges to its rulings.
While the 15th Court of Appeals has received far less attention than the new business court, experts on both sides of the aisle say it has perhaps much greater potential to become a political lightning rod.
Its three inaugural justices, all Republicans, were appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott. They’re on the ballot for the first time in 2026 and each face Democratic challengers in November. The positions are elected on a statewide basis.
Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals — Chief Justice
Incumbent Republican Justice Scott Brister will face Democrat Jerry Zimmerer in November.
Candidates for 15th Court of Appeals — Chief Justice
Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals — Place 2
Incumbent Republican Justice Scott Field will face Democrat Tom Baker in November.
Candidates for Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals — Place 2
Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals — Place 3
Incumbent Republican Justice April Farris will face Democrat Marc Meyer in November.
Candidates for Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals — Place 3
4th Court of Appeals
The 4th Court of Appeals is a regional appellate court based in San Antonio. It hears appeals to cases from a 32-county region that includes parts of the Hill Country and South Texas — which has made for a politically swingy voter base in recent years.
The court’s seven members serve staggered six-year terms, and they’re elected by the voters in its 32 counties.
Democrats held the majority of the seats going into the last election, but Republicans spent big money flipping nearly Democrat-held appellate court seat in the state in 2024 — including electing three new Republicans on the 4th Court of Appeals.
This year the GOP is looking to expand that majority, as the court’s chief justice steps down.
4th Court of Appeals — Chief Justice
Incumbent Democratic Chief Justice Rebecca Martinez is not seeking reelection, and Democrats nominated longtime district Judge Antonia Arteaga to fill her seat.
In an unusual move, Republican Bert Richardson, who is retiring from a position on the statewide Court of Criminal Appeals, is now the GOP’s nominee for this position on a lower court.
Candidates for 4th Court of Appeals — Chief Justice
District Courts
Each Texas county is served by at least one district court, which hears felony criminal cases, divorce cases, cases involving title to land, election contest cases and civil matters.
Large counties like Bexar County have many of them, specializing in criminal, civil and juvenile cases. These judges are elected on a countywide basis, and serve four-year terms, with roughly half of the courts up for reelection in midterm years.
Bexar County’s district courts once swung back and forth between Democrats and Republicans, but that stopped as the county trended bluer in recent years.
Democrats flipped the last remaining Republican-held district court judgeships in 2022, leading to more competitive Democratic primaries and fewer general election fights, as Republicans struggled to recruit candidates.
Six San Antonio-area judges fall in Democratic primary upsets
This year there’s just one Republican incumbent, Judge Ben Robertson, who was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to fill a vacancy in the 226th Criminal District Court.
Robertson is seeking reelection in a different court — the only contested district court judgeship in Bexar County this year — at the urging of Democrats who wanted to punish the incumbent.
45th Civil District Court
Incumbent Democratic Judge Mary Lou Alvarez is running unopposed in November.
Candidates for the 45th Civil District Court
144th Criminal District Court
Incumbent Democratic Judge Michael Mery lost his primary to Michael De Leon, who is running unopposed in November.
Candidates for the 144th Criminal District Court
150th Civil District Court
Incumbent Democratic Judge Monique Diaz is running unopposed in November.
Candidates for the 150th Civil District Court
186th Criminal District Court
Incumbent Democratic Judge Kristina Escalona is running unopposed in November.
Candidates for the 186th Criminal District Court
187th Criminal District Court
Incumbent Democratic Judge Stephanie R. Boyd lost her primary to Stephanie Franco, who is running unopposed in November.
Candidates for the 187th Criminal District Court
224th Civil District Court
Incumbent Democratic Judge Marisa Flores is running unopposed in November.
Candidates for the 224th Civil District Court
225th Civil District Court
Incumbent Democratic Judge Christine Vasquez-Hortick faces a challenge from Republican Benjamin Robertson, who is currently a judge in the 226th District Court.
Hortick spent her first term trying to end the presiding judge system that Bexar County has used for decades. Fellow Democrats who like the system were so irritated by this, they encouraged Robertson to run against her.
Robertson’s background is in civil law anyway, though Gov. Greg Abbott appointed him to a criminal court.
Candidates for the 225th Civil District Court
226th Criminal District Court
Incumbent Republican Judge Benjamin Robertson is running for a civil bench seat in a different court. Democrats nominated Ana Ochoa Nelson to fill the seat, and she is running unopposed in November.
Candidates for the 226th Criminal District Court
227th Criminal District Court
Incumbent Democratic Judge Christine Del Prado is unopposed in November.
Candidates for the 227th Criminal District Court
285th Civil District Court
Incumbent Democratic Judge Nadine Melissa Nieto is unopposed in November.
Candidates for the 285th Civil District Court
288th Civil District Court
Incumbent Democratic Judge Cynthia Marie Chapa is unopposed in November.
Candidates for the 288th Civil District Court
289th Juvenile District Court
Incumbent Democratic Judge Rose Sosa is unopposed in November.
Candidates for the 289th Juvenile District Court
290th Criminal District Court
Incumbent Democratic Judge Jennifer Peña is unopposed in November.
Candidates for the 209th Criminal District Court
436th Juvenile District Court
Incumbent Democratic Judge William “Cruz” Shaw lost his primary to Raymond Villareal, who is running unopposed in November.
Candidates for the 436th Juvenile District Court
437th Criminal District Court
Incumbent Democratic Judge Joel Perez is unopposed in November.
Candidates for the 437th Juvenile District Court
Bexar County Courts-at-Law
Judges in the 15 Bexar County Courts-at-Law serve four-year terms, and all of them are up for reelection in 2026. In a blue county, Democrats control every county bench seat, and few Republicans signed up to run against them.
This year there were two retirements, in County Court at Law No. 8 and No. 9.
County Court at Law No. 1
Incumbent Democrat Helen Petry Stowe faces Republican Bob Behrens, a former judge, in November.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 1
County Court at Law No. 2
Incumbent Democrat Melissa Saenz is running unopposed in November.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 2
County Court at Law No. 3
Incumbent David Rodriguez is running unopposed in November.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 3
County Court at Law No. 4
Incumbent Democrat Alfredo Ximenez faces a rematch with former Republican Judge Jason Roland Garrahan in November.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 4
County Court at Law No. 5
Incumbent Democrat Andrea Arevalos is unopposed in November.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 5
County Court at Law No. 6
Incumbent Democrat Erica Dominguez is unopposed in November.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 6
County Court at Law No. 7
Incumbent Democrat Melanie Lira is unopposed in November.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 7
County Court at Law No. 8
Democrats nominated Victoria Cruz to replace retiring Judge Mary Roman. She will face Republican Celeste Brown in November.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 8
County Court at Law No. 9
Democrats nominated Jessica A. Gonzalez to replace retiring Judge Gloria Saldaña. She will face Republican Daphne Previti Austin in November.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 9
County Court at Law No. 10
Incumbent Democrat Cesar Garcia is running unopposed in November, after fending off a Democratic challenger in a primary runoff.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 10
County Court at Law No. 11
Incumbent Democrat Erica Peña is unopposed in November.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 11
County Court at Law No. 12
Incumbent Democrat Yolanda Huff lost her primary to Lauren Zamora, who is up against Republican Deborah Dietzmann in November.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 12
County Court at Law No. 13
Incumbent Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez lost her primary to Alicia Perez, who is running unopposed in November.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 13
County Court at Law No. 14
Incumbent Democrat Carlo Rodriguez Key lost his primary to Audrey Martinez, who is running unopposed in November.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 13
County Court at Law No. 15
Incumbent Democrat Melissa Vara is unopposed in November.
Candidates for County Court at Law No. 15
Probate Courts
Bexar County has three probate courts that handle wills and the distribution of assets after a person’s death. They serve four-year terms, and two of them are on the ballot in 2026. Neither drew an opponent.
Probate Court No. 1
Incumbent Oscar J. Kazen is unopposed in November.
Candidates for Probate Court No. 1
Probate Court No. 2
Incumbent Democrat Veronica Vasquez is unopposed in November.
Candidates for Probate Court No. 2
Justice of the Peace for Bexar County’s Pct. 1
Justice of the Peace Sylvia Ruiz isn’t seeking reelection in 2026. Democrats nominated Armando Cruz Jr. to fill her seat, and no Republicans filed for this race.
Candidates for Bexar County Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace for Bexar County’s Pct. 3
Incumbent Julie Bray Patterson, a Republican who was first elected in 2022, is unopposed in her bid for a second term.
Candidates for Pct. 3 Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace for Bexar County’s Pct. 4
Justice of the Peace Michele Garcia, a Democrat elected in 2022, declined to seek reelection while battling cancer. She died in December, and Anna Campos was appointed to the seat after winning the Democratic primary in March. Campos is unopposed in her bid for a full four-year term this November.
Candidates for Bexar County Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace
San Antonio Report government and politics reporter Andrea Drusch built our 2026 voter guides. Questions? Email andrea@sareport.org.
