Monica Purdy

Monica Purdy

Democratic Party

Candidate, Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 6

Texas 95th District Court

Tenure

2021 - Present

Term ends

2028

Years in position

5

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Next election

March 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

Spelman College, 1989

Law

Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, 1992

Personal

Birthplace

Columbus, OH

Religion

United Methodist

Profession

Magistrate judge

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Personal Facebook

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Monica Purdy (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Texas 95th District Court. She assumed office on January 1, 2021. Her current term ends on December 31, 2028.

Purdy (Democratic Party) is running for election for the Place 6 judge of the Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.^[source]

Biography

Monica Purdy was born in Columbus, Ohio. She earned an undergraduate degree from Spelman College in May 1989 and a law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in May 1992. Her professional experience includes working as a magistrate judge in Dallas County.

Elections

2026

See also: Texas intermediate appellate court elections, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 6

Monica Purdy (D) is running in the Democratic primary for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 6 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Monica Purdy

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 6

Benjamin N. Smith (R) is running in the Republican primary for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 6 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Benjamin N. Smith

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= 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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Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Dallas County, Texas (2024)

General election

General election for Texas 95th District Court

Incumbent Monica Purdy won election in the general election for Texas 95th District Court on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Monica Purdy (D)	100.0	605,472

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source	Total votes: 605,472
= 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 95th District Court

Incumbent Monica Purdy advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 95th District Court on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Monica Purdy	100.0	105,869

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 105,869
= 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 Purdy in this election.

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Dallas County, Texas (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

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 898,367
= 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 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

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	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.
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 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

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	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.
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

To view Purdy's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Monica Purdy has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Monica Purdy asking her to fill out the survey. If you are Monica Purdy, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 24,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.

You can ask Monica Purdy to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing campaign@judgemonicapurdy.com.

2024

Monica Purdy did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Monica Purdy completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Purdy's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Judge Monica Purdy currently serves as an Associate Judge supporting seven of the 13 State Civil District Courts in Dallas County, Texas. Since her unanimous appointment in 2013 by the elected presiding civil judges, Judge Purdy has consistently received amongst the highest ratings, being ranked as one of the "top two" civil judges in the judicial evaluation poll, evaluating judicial performance, conducted by the Dallas Bar Association of lawyers appearing before her court.

A native of Tampa, Florida, Judge Monica Purdy earned her undergraduate degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, and law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas. After beginning her legal career at the Houston office of the national law firm of Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP, Purdy relocated to the firm's Dallas office where she was promoted to partner.

In 2004, Judge Purdy opened a private practice in Dallas, primarily serving as regional counsel for Fortune 500 clients in litigation and collection disputes before state and federal courts. In 2010, she was appointed as Associate Judge for the City of Dallas, where she served for three years before she was appointed to her current position.

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?

• Trusted. Judge Purdy has earned a reputation of being a hard working judge who is trusted and makes decisions that are fair to both plainitffs and defendants. She is respectd by her judicial peers, attorneys, citizens and community leaders alike, and consistently demonstrates an exemplary judicial tempermant.
• Tested. In her current role as Associate Judge, Judge Purdy regularly performs several of the day-to-day duties of an elected judge. Her extensive knowledge of the law and critical decision-making skills have been put to the test over the past decade that she has proudly served the citizens of Dallas County.
• Experienced. Judge Monica Purdy is poised and ready to serve at the next level. Her experience in the state district civil court system is irrefutable. With more than 20 yers practicing in civil litigation, including the last decade as a judge and a vastly diverse community network, there is no one better suited to represent al the citizens of Dallas County in the 95th Civil District Court.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Judge Purdy is passionate about educating our communities about the importance of voting and the courts and justice system.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my parents for the strong foundation that they raised me with. I would like to follow the example of Justice Thurgood Marshall who strongly believed in the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law.

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

Trustworthy, balanced, fair, accountable and knowledgeable of the law.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Trustworthy, accountable, fair and impartial

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

The judge is responsible for assuring the law is followed and carried out in every case that comes before the court. A judge presides over the courtroom, hears evidence, makes prompt decisions and instructs juries and makes rulings.

What legacy would you like to leave?

If you make a mistake, apologize. If you're thankful, show it. If you're confused, ask questions. If you learn something, teach others. If someone needs help, help them. If you see wrong, take a stance.

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

The first historical event that happened in my lifetime were the Los Angeles Riots involving the unarmed beating of Rodney King. In March 1991, I was 23 years of age and a law student in Houston, Texas where I vividly remember watching a graphic video captured by a bystander on television of Rodney King, an African-American male being brutally beaten by three white officers. In April 1992, a month before I graduated from law school at 24 years of age, I witnessed riots in South Central Los Angeles ensue over the community's outrage regarding the acquittal of those same three white officers on almost all charges that were brought against them regarding the beating of Rodney King.

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

Judge Purdy's first job was as a medical scribe at a hospital where her mother worked as a hospital administrator. She was in the eighth grade. The hospital required one of the doctors to correct their "penmanship issue" by hiring a scribe so that the nursing staff could clearly read his medical orders. It required her to accompany the doctor very early in the morning before school while he made his rounds and write clearly the doctor's orders in the patient's charts. She did this for two years before entering high school.

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

Losing my parents within a short amount of time from each other.

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

No. Judges have broad judicial discretion in their roles.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

Balanced, fair and impartial.

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

Justice Thurgood Marshall - please see previous response.

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

I do believe empathy is important quality in a judge. Judges are people too. Their role is to be impartial, fair, unbiased and ensure that the law is followed.

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

Exemplary rating by the Dallas Bar Association in the yearly judicial evaluation poll.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I am running for this open seat to continue to serve the citizens of Dallas County as an elected judge which would allow me to focus on one court as opposed the various court that I support in my current position.

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

I believe it is beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in the types of cases that will come before the court.

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

The primary concern about today's legal system in Texas is to preserve the independence of the judiciary.

What do you consider the greatest opportunity for the legal system in your state?

The greatest opportunity in Texas is to educate voters about what judges do so that they are informed when they head to the polls.

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

I am focused on the current vacant seat that I am running for but honored to be considered for any higher court in my judicial career.

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

I believe the bar association ratings give you some feedback as to a judge's ability and competency in the courtroom.

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.

Campaign finance summary

Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.

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