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Jesse Contreras
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Jesse Contreras was a judge of Texas District 449.[1] Contreras first joined the court in 2009.[2] He was re-elected on November 6, 2012, to a four-year term.
Contreras ran for re-election in 2016.[3] Contreras lost in a primary runoff election on May 24, 2016.
Education
Contreras received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas-Pan American and his J.D. from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law (TSU) in Houston.[2]
Career
Prior to taking the 449th District Court, Contreras was a municipal court judge.[4]
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.[5] Renee Rodriguez-Betancourt defeated incumbent Jesse Contreras in the Texas 449th District Court Democratic primary runoff.
| Texas 449th District Court, Democratic Primary Runoff, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Renee Rodriguez-Betancourt |
63.89% | 15,829 |
| Jesse Contreras Incumbent | 36.11% | 8,948 |
| Total Votes | 24,777 | |
| Source: Hidalgo County, Texas, "Democratic Primary Runoff Election," accessed May 24, 2016 | ||
| Texas 449th District Court, Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Renee Rodriguez-Betancourt |
45.04% | 24,508 |
| Jesse Contreras Incumbent |
40.88% | 22,243 |
| Jaime Aleman | 14.08% | 7,659 |
| Total Votes | 54,410 | |
| Source: Hidalgo County, Texas, "2016 Democratic Party Primary," 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.[6]
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."[7]
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;*[8]
- 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.[6]
*While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their term expires.[6]
2012
Contreras was re-elected without opposition to the 449th District Court.[9]
- See also: Texas judicial elections, 2012
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Hidalgo County, "449th District"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 LinkedIn, "Judge Jesus Contreras," accessed December 19, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ Brownsville Herald, "Hidalgo County district judge candidate Contreras arrested," February 8, 2013
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 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
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2012 General Election Summary" Select "2012 General Election"
