D'Metria Benson
D'Metria Benson (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Dallas County Court at Law No. 1 in Texas. She assumed office in 2014. Her current term ends on December 31, 2026.
Benson (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for judge of the Dallas County Court at Law No. 1 in Texas. She lost in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.
Elections
2026
See also: Municipal elections in Dallas 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 Dallas County Court at Law No. 1
Erin Nowell (D) is running in the general election for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Erin Nowell (D) | |
| ||||
 = 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
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1
Erin Nowell (D) defeated incumbent D'Metria Benson (D) in the Democratic primary for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Erin Nowell | 52.1 | 125,307 |
 | D'Metria Benson | 47.9 | 115,058 | |
| Total votes: 240,365 | |||
| = 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 Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2022
See also: Municipal elections in Dallas County, Texas (2022)
General election
General election for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1
Incumbent D'Metria Benson defeated Mike Lee in the general election for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | D'Metria Benson (D) | 60.8 | 373,705 |
 | Mike Lee (R) | 39.2 | 240,726 | |
| Total votes: 614,431 | |||
| = 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 Dallas County Court at Law No. 1
Incumbent D'Metria Benson defeated Ledouglas Johnson in the Democratic primary for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | D'Metria Benson | 64.1 | 75,413 |
| Ledouglas Johnson | 35.9 | 42,324 | ||
| Total votes: 117,737 | |||
| = 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 Dallas County Court at Law No. 1
Mike Lee advanced from the Republican primary for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mike Lee | 100.0 | 68,927 |
| Total votes: 68,927 | |||
| = 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
The general election was canceled. Incumbent D'Metria Benson won election in the general election for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1
Incumbent D'Metria Benson advanced from the Democratic primary for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | D'Metria Benson | 100.0 | 91,029 |
| Total votes: 91,029 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2014
See also: Texas judicial elections, 2014
Benson ran for re-election to the Dallas County Court at Law.
Primary: She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on March 4, 2014.
General: She defeated Russell Roden in the general election on November 4, 2014, receiving 52.3 percent of the vote.
[1][2]
2010
Benson ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. She defeated Russell Roden in the general election for the Dallas County Court at Law, winning 50.14 percent of the vote.[3][4]
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
D'Metria Benson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
D'Metria Benson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Education
Benson received a B.A. from Texas Christian University, and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.[5]
Career
Prior to joining the court, Benson was an attorney in private practice.[5]
Awards and associations
Awards
- Amicus Volunteer of the Year Award, National Employment Lawyers Association, Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter
Associations
- Member, Texas Center for the Judiciary - Nominations Committee
- Chair, Texas Center for the Judiciary - By-Laws Committee[6]
- Member, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation
- Member, DMS Board of Dallas County
- Member, Junior League of Dallas
- Past member, State Bar of Texas Women and the Law Section
- Past member, National Employment Lawyers Association
- Past member, Texas Employment Lawyers Association
- Past member, DFW Chapter-National Employment Lawyers Association
- Past board member, Voice of Change
- Past board member, Dallas Wind Symphony
- Past board member, Theatre Three[5]
Selection method
- See also: Partisan election of judges
Judges of the county courts are elected in partisan elections by the county they serve and serve four-year terms, with vacancies filled by a vote of the county commissioners.[7]
Qualifications
To serve on a county court, a judge must:[7]
- be at least 25 years old;
- be a resident of his or her respective county for at least two years; and
- have practiced law or served as a judge for at least four years preceding the election.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
|
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (A-L)"
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (M-Z)" (Search "Dallas")
- ↑ Dallas County Board of Elections, "Unofficial Election Results"
- ↑ Dallas County Board of Elections, "Democratic Primary Election Results," 2010
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Re-elect Judge D'Metria Benson, "Biography," archived August 19, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedwebsite - ↑ 7.0 7.1 Texas Secretary of State, "Qualifications for Office," accessed January 14, 2016
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
