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Mark Kent Ellis
Mark Kent Ellis was a judge of Texas District 351.[1] He first joined the bench in 1996. On November 6, 2012, he was re-elected to a four-year term.[2]
Ellis lost his re-election bid in 2016.[3] The general election took place on November 8, 2016.
Biography
Ellis received his J.D. from South Texas College of Law.[4] Prior to that, he worked in the Harris County District Attorney's office and in private practice immediately prior to joining the court.[1]
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] Incumbent Mark Kent Ellis ran unopposed in the Texas 351st District Court Republican primary.[3]
| Texas 351st District Court, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Mark Kent Ellis Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 199,477 |
| Total Votes | 199,477 | |
| Source: Harris County, Texas, "Republican Party Cumulative Report-Unofficial," accessed March 2, 2016 | ||
George Powell defeated incumbent Mark Kent Ellis in the Texas 351st District Court general election.
| Texas 351st District Court, General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | George Powell |
51.50% | 651,816 | |
| Republican | Mark Kent Ellis Incumbent | 48.50% | 613,728 | |
| Total Votes | 1,265,544 | |||
| Source: Harris County, Texas, "Election Results," accessed December 9, 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
Ellis ran for re-election to the 351st District Court and defeated challenger Garland McInnis with 50.9 percent of the vote.[9][2]
- See also: Texas judicial elections, 2012
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 351st District
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Harris County, Texas-2012 General Elections Results
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ Martindale.com Profile
- ↑ 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 Results," November 6, 2012
