Chris Morton
Chris Morton (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Texas 230th District Court. He assumed office on January 1, 2019. His current term ends on December 31, 2026.
Morton (Democratic Party) is running for re-election for judge of the Texas 230th District Court. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. He advanced from the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.
Elections
2026
See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2026)
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for Texas 230th District Court
Incumbent Chris Morton (D) and Megan Long (R) are running in the general election for Texas 230th District Court on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Chris Morton (D) | |
| Megan Long (R) | ||
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary for Texas 230th District Court
Incumbent Chris Morton (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 230th District Court on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Morton | 100.0 | 295,456 |
| Total votes: 295,456 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Republican primary for Texas 230th District Court
Megan Long (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 230th District Court on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Megan Long | 100.0 | 149,996 | |
| Total votes: 149,996 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
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2022
See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2022)
General election
General election for Texas 230th District Court
Incumbent Chris Morton defeated Brad Hart in the general election for Texas 230th District Court on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Morton (D) | 51.3 | 545,251 |
 | Brad Hart (R) | 48.7 | 517,531 | |
| Total votes: 1,062,782 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas 230th District Court
Incumbent Chris Morton defeated Joseph Sanchez in the Democratic primary for Texas 230th District Court on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Morton | 60.9 | 88,672 |
| Joseph Sanchez | 39.1 | 56,878 | ||
| Total votes: 145,550 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas 230th District Court
Brad Hart advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 230th District Court on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Brad Hart | 100.0 | 139,118 |
| Total votes: 139,118 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for Texas 230th District Court
Chris Morton defeated incumbent Brad Hart in the general election for Texas 230th District Court on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Morton (D) | 55.1 | 651,252 |
| Brad Hart (R) | 44.9 | 530,881 | |
| Total votes: 1,182,133 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas 230th District Court
Chris Morton advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 230th District Court on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Morton | 100.0 | 132,011 |
| Total votes: 132,011 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas 230th District Court
Incumbent Brad Hart advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 230th District Court on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Brad Hart | 100.0 | 114,961 |
| Total votes: 114,961 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Selection method
- See also: Partisan election of judges
The judges of the Texas District Courts are chosen in partisan elections. They serve four-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to continue serving.[1]
Though Texas is home to more than 400 district courts, the courts are grouped into nine administrative judicial regions. Each region is overseen by a presiding judge who is appointed by the governor to a four-year term. According to the state courts website, the presiding judge may be a "regular elected or retired district judge, a former judge with at least 12 years of service as a district judge, or a retired appellate judge with judicial experience on a district court."[2]
Qualifications
To serve on the district courts, a judge must be:
- a U.S. citizen;
- a resident of Texas;
- licensed to practice law in the state;
- between the ages of 25 and 75;*[3]
- a practicing lawyer and/or state judge for at least four years; and
- a resident of his or her respective judicial district for at least two years.[1]
*While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their term expires.[1]
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
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You can ask Chris Morton to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing cmorton1116@gmail.com.
Campaign website
Morton's campaign website stated the following:
Find out where Judge Morton stands on some of the important issues facing the Harris County Criminal Justice System:
Acces to Courts/Safety Protocols During COVID-19
During the pandemic, I continued to preside in person in the courtroom for those parties who chose to be in-person or for defendants who were in custody. Many parties chose to attend proceedings remotely, which I supported and encouraged. As Harris County Courts are beginning to open back up, I will continue as I have throughout the pandemic to follow CDC and County Health guidance by requiring individuals to wear masks and to social distance while in the 230th District Court, until the County advises otherwise. I strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated to speed reopening efforts.
Managed Aassigned Counsel (MAC)
I support the recommendation by the Texas Indigent Defense Counsel (TIDC) to create Managed Assigned Counsel (MAC), an independent office to handle the appointment of competent and experienced attorneys for indigent defendants and the approval of those attorneys’ invoices. Currently, the appointment of indigent defense counsel and the approval of their fees is handled by each individual court. The current system creates a potential perception of bias or favortism towards particular attorneys or, even worse, a "pay to play" scenario where attorneys feel the need to donate to judicial campaigns in order to receive work in a particular court. As a result, during my first week as a judge, I delegated the appointment of indigent defense counsel to my court coordinator, as I firmly believe that judges should have no hand in selecting the attorneys who represent the parties before them. I believe Managed Assigned Counsel would fix this issue.
Bond Reform
The purpose of a bond – whether cash or personal recognizance (PR) – is to ensure a defendant returns to court and complies with the conditions of his or her release. The Texas Constitution provides that every person charged with a criminal offense is entitled to a bond, with very few specific and limited exceptions. For a judge to apply one of these exceptions and hold a defendant at "no-bond", the State must first provide evidence of very specific facts. Where the State is unwilling or unable to provide that evidence, a bond MUST be given, because every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and the natural state of innocent people is at liberty.
In the past, judges have set extremely high cash bonds (also known as bail), as a way of ensuring that defendants stay in jail during the pendency of their cases. This was done under the guise of protecting the community. The result of such a practice, however, is that individuals with wealth are able to leave jail on bond, while individuals charged with the same crime (but without the same access to money) stay in jail. Let me be clear: this practice violates defendants’ rights under both the Texas and United States Constitutions. By law, cash bail CANNOT be used as a means of oppression, and no person should languish in jail merely because they cannot afford to make their bail.
Rather, to ensure the safety of the community, nonmonetary conditions (such as GPS monitoring, curfews, restrictions on the possession of firearms, and no-contact orders) should be put in place whenever the bond is set. If a defendant violates these conditions, the State may request a hearing to revoke the defendant's bond and, potentially, to hold the defendant at no-bond until the time of trial.
As Judge, I believe strongly that whether a defendant remains in jail during the pendency of their case should not depend on whether that individual is rich or poor. My focus as Judge of the 230th District Court has therefore been on setting bonds in compliance with the requirements of the Texas Constitution which are designed to ensure the defendant’s appearance in court, while also putting non-monetary conditions of bond in place to keep victims and the community safe.
Mental Health & Addiction Issues
Judges should be alert and cognizant to mental health and addiction issues. Often drug cases involve people with mental health issues who are self-medicating. Judges need to seek ways to help people with addiction and mental health issues by keeping them out of jail and in treatment. There are state funded programs that can help with this. In my court, I strive to ensure that addiction and mental health issues are addressed, not punished.
Veterans’ Issues
As a former military serviceman, I know that men and women who have served our country in uniform have special issues and often deserve special attention, as many of our veterans come home suffering from PTSD or other mental health issues as a result of their military service. Judges need to be cognizant of those issues and proactive in working with veterans to obtain additional support through referrals to Veteran’s Court. As a prosecutor, I volunteered my time working in Veteran’s Court and can attest to the positive outcomes there. As judge, I fully utilize Veteran’s Court.
— Chris Morton's campaign website (March 18, 2026)
2022
Chris Morton did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Personal |
Footnotes
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
