David Wahlberg

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David Wahlberg

Prior offices

Texas 167th District Court

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Elections and appointments

Last election

March 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Texas Lutheran

Law

University of Texas School of Law, 1976

David Wahlberg was a judge of the Texas 167th District Court. He left office on December 31, 2020.

Wahlberg (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for judge of the Texas 167th District Court. He lost in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2020.

Elections

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Travis County, Texas (2020)

General election

General election for Texas 167th District Court

Dayna Blazey won election in the general election for Texas 167th District Court on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dayna Blazey (D)	100.0	430,576

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 430,576
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas 167th District Court

Dayna Blazey defeated incumbent David Wahlberg in the Democratic primary for Texas 167th District Court on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dayna Blazey	56.5	101,339
		David Wahlberg	43.5	78,125

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 179,464
= 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.
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2016

See also: Texas local trial court judicial elections, 2016

Texas held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on March 1, 2016. A primary runoff election was held on May 24, 2016, for any seat where the top vote recipient did not receive a majority of the primary vote. Incumbent David Wahlberg ran unopposed in the Texas 167th District Court Democratic primary.

Texas 167th District Court, Democratic Primary, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
David Wahlberg Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	104,431
Total Votes		104,431
Source: Travis County Clerk, "Unofficial Results: Democratic Cumulative Results," accessed March 2, 2016

David Wahlberg won without opposition in the general election.

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.

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."

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;*
• 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.

*While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their term expires.

2012

Wahlberg ran uncontested for election to the 167th District Court.

See also: Texas judicial elections, 2012

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

David Wahlberg did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Education

Wahlberg received his undergraduate degree from Texas Lutheran University and his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.

Career

Prior to his judicial election, Wahlberg worked as a private practice attorney.

Noteworthy cases

Judge rules Texas state ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional

See also: Travis County Probate Court, Texas

On Tuesday, February 17, 2015, Judge Guy Herman ruled that the Texas state ban on same-sex marriages was unconstitutional. The ruling emerged from an estate dispute in which an Austin resident named Sonemaly Phrasavath argued that her eight-year relationship to Stella Powell should have been classified as a common-law marriage. Powell died without a valid will in June after having been diagnosed with colon cancer eight months prior. After her death, a legal dispute over her estate developed between Phrasavath and two of Powell’s siblings. Phrasavath stated that she didn't intend to set a legal precedent when she entered the court. “I can’t imagine anyone being married for 6 or 7 years, then having to walk away after losing their spouse and feel like the marriage never happened,” she said.

Two days after Herman's ruling, two Austin women were married on Judge David Wahlberg's orders. Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant tied the knot after being together nearly 31 years. The marriage sparked celebrations from supporters and disapproval from the Republican state leadership. Attorney General Ken Paxton stated his intention to void the marriage, and requested the Texas Supreme Court to investigate. The supreme court issued an order blocking Wahlberg's order. Wahlberg had originally ordered that Goodfriend and Bryant be issued a marriage license due to Goodfriend's poor health.

In opposition to Wahlberg's order, Governor Greg Abbott cited a 2005 amendment of the Texas Constitution that defines marriage as consisting “only of the union of one man and one woman.” Paxton stated he will seek a lawsuit that will attempt to halt the Travis County clerk from issuing additional marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Awards and associations

Awards

• Texas Superlawyer, Texas Monthly

Associations

• Member, Austin Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
• Member, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
• Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Member, Texas District and County Attorney Association
• Member, ACLU
• Member, NAACP

See also

2020 Elections

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Government

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External links

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

Texas courts

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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