Mike Lee (Dallas County, Texas)

Mike Lee (Republican Party) is a judge for Place 12 of the Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals. He assumed office on January 1, 2025. His current term ends on December 31, 2030.

Lee (Republican Party) ran for election for the Place 12 judge of the Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Lee completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Mike Lee was born in Dallas, Texas. He earned a high school diploma from Bishop Dunne High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Dallas in 1982, and a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1985. His career experience includes working as an attorney.^[1]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 12

Mike Lee defeated incumbent Ken Molberg in the general election for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 12 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Mike Lee (R)	50.8	771,073
	Ken Molberg (D)	49.2	747,477

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,518,550
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 12

Incumbent Ken Molberg advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 12 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ken Molberg	100.0	141,012

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 141,012
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 12

Mike Lee advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 12 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Lee	100.0	188,884

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 188,884
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Lee in this election.

2022

General election

General election for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1

Incumbent D'Metria Benson defeated Mike Lee in the general election for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	D'Metria Benson (D)	60.8	373,705
	Mike Lee (R)	39.2	240,726

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 614,431
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1

Incumbent D'Metria Benson defeated Ledouglas Johnson in the Democratic primary for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		D'Metria Benson	64.1	75,413
	Submit photo	Ledouglas Johnson	35.9	42,324

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 117,737
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1

Mike Lee advanced from the Republican primary for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Lee	100.0	68,927

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 68,927
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

General election

General election for Texas 95th District Court

Monica Purdy defeated incumbent Mike Lee in the general election for Texas 95th District Court on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Monica Purdy (D)	63.6	571,557
	Mike Lee (R)	36.4	326,810

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 898,367
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas 95th District Court

Monica Purdy advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 95th District Court on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Monica Purdy	100.0	195,595

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 195,595 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas 95th District Court

Incumbent Mike Lee advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 95th District Court on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Lee	100.0	73,554

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 73,554 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

General election

General election for Texas 101st District Court

Incumbent Staci Williams defeated Mike Lee in the general election for Texas 101st District Court on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Staci Williams (D)	64.2	451,238
	Mike Lee (R)	35.8	251,390

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 702,628
= 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 101st District Court

Incumbent Staci Williams advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 101st District Court on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Staci Williams	100.0	98,768

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 98,768
= 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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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas 101st District Court

Mike Lee advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 101st District Court on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Lee	100.0	54,664

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 54,664
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Selection method

See also: Partisan election of judges

Judges of the county courts are elected in partisan elections by the county they serve and serve four-year terms, with vacancies filled by a vote of the county commissioners.^[2]

Qualifications
To serve on a county court, a judge must:^[2]

be at least 25 years old;
be a resident of his or her respective county for at least two years; and
have practiced law or served as a judge for at least four years preceding the election.

2014

See also: Texas judicial elections, 2014

Lee ran for election to the Dallas County Court at Law. General: He was defeated in the general election on November 4, 2014, after receiving 46.1 percent of the vote. He competed against Sally Lundberg Montgomery. Primary: He ran unopposed in the Republican primary on March 4, 2014.^[3]^[4]

2010

See also: Texas district court judicial elections, 2010

Lee was defeated by Tonya Parker in the general election for the Texas 116th district Court.^[5]

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Mike Lee completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lee's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an attorney and former Texas District Court Judge with 38 years experience as a trial attorney, and I am a candidate for Justice, Place 12, on the Fifth District Court of Appeals of Texas. I have a significant passion for public policy, the legal system, and education. I understand the Constitution of this great State is a compact between the citizens of Texas and between those citizens and the government they have formed, and it must be construed exactly as the citizens have written it. My experience in the courtroom and my desire to be of service to the public led me to offer myself as a candidate for a Dallas County trial court bench during each election cycle for the past 16 years, and I now offer myself as a candidate for the Court of Appeals. I've served my parish and its parochial school with over 20 years' membership on the school's governing council and a term as Chair of the parish council. I also serve as a Trustee of the Patrick D. Sheeran and Michael J. Crowley Memorial Trust, created on October 4, 1995 by a group of Texas lawyers who saw that most lawyers in need of treatment for their alcoholism, substance abuse, depression and other mental health disorders generally do not have the insurance or available funding to provide for such treatment. The Trust was created to fill that gap, and the Trustees work with the Texas Lawyers Assistance Program to make the necessary funds available.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

The Constitution is a compact between the citizens and the state and must be construed as enacted by the citizens.
The Legislature is the policy making entity in the state; it is the job of the courts to enforce that policy, not make policy judgments themselves.
It is time to restore the Fifth District Court of Appeals as the premier intermediate appellate court in Texas. That will be done by having a majority of judges focused on construing the law as it is written, rather than focusing on outcomes in particular cases.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Law and justice.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Humility. The elected official serves the public that elects him or her.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

A palpable understanding that the role of the courts is to enforce the law as written by the other branches of government, all in accordance with the powers granted by the citizens in the constitution.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The fire that killed the astronauts of Apollo 1.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Furr's Cafeteria. Started as a dishwasher, worked as a cook through high school and college.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Hunger Games. Whether the author intended to or not, she aptly described the relationship between most governments and their people.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

The theme from Chariot's Fire.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I wouldn't call it a struggle any more, but I fought alcoholism in my life. I've been sober 31 years.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

No.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

I am a textualist.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

Clarence Thomas.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Yes.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

I have not.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

To return the Fifth District Court of Appeals as the premier intermediate appellate court in Texas.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes.

What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?

A general unwillingness to dispose of appropriate cases through summary disposition.

Would you be interested in serving on a higher court in the future? If so, which court appeals to you?

The court of appeals is the pinnacle for me.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

Generally, yes.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Texans for Lawsuit Reform.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

This is more a legislative decision than a judicial decision, so I will pass on answering this question.

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.

2022

Mike Lee did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Mike Lee did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

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.

Mike Lee campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 12	Won general	$20,600	$24,783
Grand total			$20,600	$24,783
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Officeholder

Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 12

Website

Personal

Facebook

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Texas Secretary of State, "Qualifications for Office," accessed January 14, 2016
↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (A-L)"
↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (M-Z)" (Search "Dallas")
↑ Dallas County Board of Elections, "Unofficial Election Results"

Political offices
Preceded by Ken Molberg (D)	Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 12 2025-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by David Lopez (D)	Texas 256th District Court 2022-2022	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Texas 95th District Court -2020	Succeeded by -

Texas courts

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

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024

[texcourt-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Texas Secretary of State, "Qualifications for Office," accessed January 14, 2016

[candidates-3] Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (A-L)"

[candidates2-4] Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (M-Z)" (Search "Dallas")

[5] Dallas County Board of Elections, "Unofficial Election Results"

[1]

[2]

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[5]

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Mike Lee (Dallas County, Texas)

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 12

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 12

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 12

Campaign finance

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Dallas County Court at Law No. 1

2020

General election

General election for Texas 95th District Court

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas 95th District Court

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas 95th District Court

2018

General election

General election for Texas 101st District Court

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas 101st District Court

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas 101st District Court

Selection method

2014

2010

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

2022

2020

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

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