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Jan Soifer
Jan Soifer (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Texas 345th District Court. Her current term ends on December 31, 2028.
Soifer (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for judge of the Texas 345th District Court. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Education
Soifer earned her B.A. from Yale University in 1979, and her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1982.[1]
Career
Soifer is a partner with O'Connell & Soifer LLP in Austin. She has also served as the chair of the Travis County Democratic Party.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Municipal elections in Travis County, Texas (2024)
General election
General election for Texas 345th District Court
Incumbent Jan Soifer won election in the general election for Texas 345th District Court on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jan Soifer (D) | 100.0 | 399,658 |
| Total votes: 399,658 | |||
 = 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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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas 345th District Court
Incumbent Jan Soifer advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 345th District Court on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jan Soifer | 100.0 | 73,608 |
| Total votes: 73,608 | |||
| = 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
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Soifer in this election.
2020
See also: Municipal elections in Travis County, Texas (2020)
General election
General election for Texas 345th District Court
Incumbent Jan Soifer won election in the general election for Texas 345th District Court on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jan Soifer (D) | 100.0 | 429,795 |
| Total votes: 429,795 | |||
| = 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 345th District Court
Incumbent Jan Soifer advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 345th District Court on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jan Soifer | 100.0 | 168,076 |
| Total votes: 168,076 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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.[2] Jan Soifer defeated Melissa Mather in the Texas 345th District Court Democratic primary.[3]
| Texas 345th District Court, Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Jan Soifer |
56.81% | 61,064 |
| Melissa Mather | 43.19% | 46,421 |
| Total Votes (100) | 107,485 | |
| Source: Travis County Clerk, "Unofficial Results: Democratic Cumulative Results," accessed March 2, 2016 | ||
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.[4]
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."[5]
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;*[6]
- 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.[4]
*While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their term expires.[4]
Endorsements
Soifer received the following endorsements prior to the Democratic primary:[7]
- The Austin Chronicle
- Austin Black Lawyers Association
- Austin Progressive Coalition
- Austin Tejano Democrats
- Austin Young Democrats
- Black Austin Democrats
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jan Soifer did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Jan Soifer did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jan Soifer Campaign, "About Jan," accessed February 19, 2016
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Texas," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ Texas Courts Online, "Administrative Judicial Regions," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ Texas State Historical Association, "Judiciary," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ Jan Soifer Campaign, "Supporters," accessed February 19, 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
