Mariel Kelley
Mariel Kelley (Democratic Party) is running for election for the Precinct 2 judge of the Travis County Justice of the Peace in Texas. Kelley is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. Kelley advanced from the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.
Kelley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2026
See also: Municipal elections in Travis County, Texas (2026)
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for Travis County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2
Mariel Kelley (D) is running in the general election for Travis County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Mariel Kelley (D)  | |
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| = 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
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary for Travis County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2
Mariel Kelley (D) defeated incumbent Randall Slagle (D) in the Democratic primary for Travis County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mariel Kelley | 55.9 | 24,582 |
 | Randall Slagle | 44.1 | 19,385 | |
| Total votes: 43,967 | |||
| = 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
The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled.
Endorsements
Kelley received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Mariel Kelley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kelley's responses.
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- My first priority is restoring accountability and consistency to the court. Voters deserve to know that the judge they elect is the judge they will see on the bench every day, making decisions that affect their lives. Consistency matters for fairness, efficiency, and public trust. A court that relies on rotating visiting judges creates uncertainty and weakens accountability. As Justice of the Peace, I am committed to being present, prepared, and responsible to the community—showing up day after day to deliver steady, transparent, and dependable justice for everyone who comes before the court.
- My second priority concerns stability and fairness for tenants facing eviction. Too many families lose their homes not because the law is against them, but because they lack information, resources, or a fair chance to be heard. As Justice of the Peace, I will ensure tenants understand their rights, have access to available legal and community resources, and are treated with dignity throughout the process. Eviction should never be a fast track to instability; it should be a last resort, with every reasonable effort made to keep families housed and communities intact.
- My third priority is prevention and opportunity. As Justice of the Peace, I will launch Travis County’s first Teen Court program—going beyond mandatory youth diversion dockets to implement a proven, data-driven model that lowers recidivism for low-level offenses. Teen Court gives young people real agency and ownership over their cases, holding them accountable in a developmentally appropriate way while keeping them out of the traditional justice pipeline. At the same time, it opens doors to the legal system as a possible career path, showing teens that the justice system can be something they participate in and shape—not just something that happens to them.
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.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
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
