Jennifer Caughey
2025 - Present
2030
0
Jennifer Caughey (Republican Party) is a judge for Place 2 of the Texas First District Court of Appeals. She assumed office on January 1, 2025. Her current term ends on December 31, 2030.
Caughey (Republican Party) ran for election for the Place 2 judge of the Texas First District Court of Appeals. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Caughey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Jennifer Caughey lives in Houston, Texas. She earned a high school diploma from Kinkaid School, a bachelor's degree from Princeton University in 2004, and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2007. Caughey’s career experience includes working as an attorney with Smyser Kaplan & Veselka and Baker Botts.[1][2] As of 2024, Caughey was affiliated with the Texas Judicial Council, the Texas Board of Disciplinary Appeals, the Texas Appellate Bar, and Texas Bar Fellows.[3]
Elections
2024
See also: Texas intermediate appellate court elections, 2024
General election
General election for Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 2
Jennifer Caughey defeated Brendetta Scott in the general election for Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 2 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jennifer Caughey (R)  | 53.3 | 1,196,245 |
 | Brendetta Scott (D) | 46.7 | 1,049,099 | |
| Total votes: 2,245,344 | |||
| = 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 First District Court of Appeals Place 2
Brendetta Scott defeated incumbent Gordon Goodman in the Democratic primary for Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 2 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Brendetta Scott | 67.8 | 143,640 |
| Gordon Goodman | 32.2 | 68,351 | ||
| Total votes: 211,991 | |||
| = 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 First District Court of Appeals Place 2
Jennifer Caughey advanced from the Republican primary for Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 2 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jennifer Caughey | 100.0 | 271,930 |
| Total votes: 271,930 | |||
| = 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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Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Caughey in this election.
2018
General election
General election for Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 9
Peter M. Kelly defeated incumbent Jennifer Caughey in the general election for Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 9 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Peter M. Kelly (D) | 51.8 | 894,209 |
| Jennifer Caughey (R) | 48.2 | 833,319 | |
| Total votes: 1,727,528 | |||
| = 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 First District Court of Appeals Place 9
Peter M. Kelly advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 9 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Peter M. Kelly |
| ||||
| = 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 First District Court of Appeals Place 9
Incumbent Jennifer Caughey advanced from the Republican primary for Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 9 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Jennifer Caughey |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jennifer Caughey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Caughey's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am uniquely prepared to serve you well in this role.
I’m experienced and committed to the rule of law. I was appointed to this Court by Governor Abbott. While serving, I issued 125+ opinions and worked on 450 appeals. My opinions show that you can count on me to consistently apply the law faithfully and fairly; work hard; and efficiently issue clear opinions. My record earned broad respect: lawyers who practice in this Court voted by almost a 3-to-1 margin that they want to see me in this seat.
My focus is appellate law. I spent the last 5.5 years leading a large law firm’s appellate practice. My appellate work has been recognized by Chambers, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and others. My appellate team has been rated top tier. Public service has remained my priority: I serve on the Texas Judicial Council (the policymaking body for the judiciary) and the Texas Board of Disciplinary Appeals (a Texas Supreme Court appointment).
My background and education prepared me to sit on one of Texas’s most important courts. I grew up in Houston. I left to attend Princeton University and Harvard Law School, then embarked on my career and made my way home. I have devoted my career to appellate law. I am blessed to have a loving husband and two wonderful kids.- I will always apply the law faithfully.
- I will give every case time and respect, treating all cases equally.
- I will efficiently issue clear opinions.
Second, judges must work hard, giving all cases their time and respect and treating all equally. The docket of the First Court of Appeals is extremely busy. To do the job right--studying the record, researching the law, studying the briefs and arguments, and faithfully applying the law--requires a lot of work and effort. Each appeal may be the most important event in the world to those parties--and each sets precedent for future cases. Each deserves the judge's complete attention and respect.
I also won the Bar poll in 2018.
I have the experience to serve Texans well for three reasons: 1) my prior service; 2) my practice, and 3) my public service.
You don't have to guess what sort of judge I'll be. I issued 125 opinions that show that I'll faithfully apply the law, be efficient, and work hard, treating all appeals equally. My record earned broad support, which is reflected in metrics like the Texas Bar Judicial Poll, which I won by almost a 3-to-1 margin.
My practice also prepared me. I aspired to this role since high school, when I had the chance to intern for a judge. She worked hard, and her allegiance was to the law. I left inspired and spent my career preparing myself. I went to Princeton and Harvard Law with this goal in mind. I spent two years working for appellate judges. I worked in private practice, gaining deep appellate and trial experience. And notably, I spent that last 6 years leading a major appellate group, where I practice in this Court daily. I have filed 100+ appellate briefs and made many appellate arguments--including multiple in the Texas Supreme Court. I bring the perspective of the appellate practitioner and judge.
Finally, I bring perspective from public service. I serve on the Judicial Council, where we work on issues like access to justice and trust in the judiciary. I serve on the Board of Disciplinary Appeals, hearing 40 appeals per month; this keeps my appellate judge skills sharp. And I chair the law school liaison committee for the Appellate Bar, giving awards to students and planning events to mentor them. I would bring this experience with me as well.
Supporting firms: AZA, Baker Botts, Beck Redden, Bradley, Gray Reed, Hicks Thomas, Hoover Slovacek, Jackson Walker, The Lanier Law Firm, Lock Lord, Norton Rose, Reynolds Frizzell, Shipley Snell Montgomery, Smyser, Kaplan & Veselka, Susman Godfrey, Wright, Close & Barger, V&E
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 2 |
Officeholder Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 2 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Jennifer Caughey for 1st Court of Appeals, "About Justice Caughey," accessed February 6, 2018
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Jennifer Caughey," accessed February 6, 2018
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 24, 2024
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Gordon Goodman (D) |
Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 2 2025-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Texas First District Court of Appeals Place 9 -2018 |
Succeeded by - |
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
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