Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Kristen Hawkins
Kristen Hawkins is a judge of the Texas 11th District Court. Her current term ends on December 31, 2028.
Hawkins (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for judge of the Texas 11th District Court. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Education
Hawkins earned her bachelor's degree in government and Spanish from the University of Texas-Austin, and her J.D. from the South Texas College of Law.[1]
Career
Hawkins began practicing as an attorney in 2000.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2024)
General election
General election for Texas 11th District Court
Incumbent Kristen Hawkins defeated Nile Copeland in the general election for Texas 11th District Court on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kristen Hawkins (D) | 51.7 | 759,292 |
 | Nile Copeland (R) | 48.3 | 710,240 | |
| Total votes: 1,469,532 | |||
 = 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 11th District Court
Incumbent Kristen Hawkins advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 11th District Court on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kristen Hawkins | 100.0 | 139,518 |
| Total votes: 139,518 | |||
| = 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 11th District Court
Nile Copeland advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 11th District Court on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Nile Copeland | 100.0 | 143,309 |
| Total votes: 143,309 | |||
| = 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 Hawkins in this election.
2020
See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2020)
General election
General election for Texas 11th District Court
Incumbent Kristen Hawkins won election in the general election for Texas 11th District Court on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kristen Hawkins (D) | 100.0 | 1,064,910 |
| Total votes: 1,064,910 | |||
| = 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 11th District Court
Incumbent Kristen Hawkins advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 11th District Court on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kristen Hawkins | 100.0 | 237,820 |
| Total votes: 237,820 | |||
| = 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
Kristen Hawkins defeated Kevin Fulton in the Texas 11th District Court general election.
| Texas 11th District Court, General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Kristen Hawkins |
52.42% | 666,492 | |
| Republican | Kevin Fulton | 47.58% | 605,037 | |
| Total Votes | 1,271,529 | |||
| Source: Harris County, Texas, "Election Results," accessed December 9, 2016 | ||||
Kristen Hawkins defeated Rabeea Collier in the Texas 11th District Court Democratic primary runoff.
| Texas 11th District Court, Democratic Primary Runoff, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Kristen Hawkins |
59.24% | 16,429 |
| Rabeea Collier | 40.76% | 11,305 |
| Total Votes | 27,734 | |
| Source: Harris County Clerk. "Election Night Results," accessed May 24, 2016 | ||
| Texas 11th District Court, Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Kristen Hawkins |
49.35% | 81,172 |
| Rabeea Collier |
25.38% | 41,751 |
| Jim Lewis | 25.27% | 41,566 |
| Total Votes | 164,489 | |
| Source: Harris County, Texas, "Democratic Party Cumulative Report-Unofficial," 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.[3]
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."[4]
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;*[5]
- 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.[3]
*While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their term expires.[3]
Endorsements
| Kristen Hawkins ad, May 8, 2015 |
Hawkins received the following endorsements in 2016:[6]
- State Rep. Jessica Farrar (D)
- State Rep. Ana Hernandez (D)
- State Rep. Armando Walle (D)
- Alief Independent School District Trustee Rick Moreno
- Alief Independent School District Trustee Tiffany Thomas
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Kristen Hawkins did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Kristen Hawkins did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kristen Hawkins for Judge, "About," accessed February 12, 2016
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 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
- ↑ Kristen Hawkins for Judge, "Supporters," accessed February 12, 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
