Patricia Baca Bennett
Patricia Baca Bennett (Republican Party) is a judge of the Texas 360th District Court. Her current term ends on December 31, 2028.
Baca Bennett (Republican Party) ran for re-election for judge of the Texas 360th District Court. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Bennett earned her B.A. in political science from the University of Texas at Arlington. She later received her J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law.[1] Bennett was a private practice attorney specializing in family law prior to her election to the court.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Municipal elections in Tarrant County, Texas (2024)
General election
General election for Texas 360th District Court
Incumbent Patricia Baca Bennett won election in the general election for Texas 360th District Court on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Patricia Baca Bennett (R) | 100.0 | 522,721 |
| Total votes: 522,721 | |||
 = 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 360th District Court
Incumbent Patricia Baca Bennett defeated Anlee Hsu in the Republican primary for Texas 360th District Court on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Patricia Baca Bennett | 79.6 | 95,357 |
| Anlee Hsu | 20.4 | 24,463 | ||
| Total votes: 119,820 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Baca Bennett in this election.
2020
See also: Municipal elections in Tarrant County, Texas (2020)
General election
General election for Texas 360th District Court
Incumbent Patricia Baca Bennett defeated Michael Munoz in the general election for Texas 360th District Court on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Patricia Baca Bennett (R) | 53.1 | 423,771 |
 | Michael Munoz (D) | 46.9 | 374,877 | |
| Total votes: 798,648 | |||
| = 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 360th District Court
Michael Munoz advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 360th District Court on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Michael Munoz | 100.0 | 110,288 |
| Total votes: 110,288 | |||
| = 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 360th District Court
Incumbent Patricia Baca Bennett advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 360th District Court on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Patricia Baca Bennett | 100.0 | 99,886 |
| Total votes: 99,886 | |||
| = 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
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.[2] Patricia Baca Bennett defeated incumbent Mike Sinha in the Texas 360th District Court Republican primary.[3]
| Texas 360th District Court, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Patricia Baca Bennett |
57.37% | 85,692 |
| Mike Sinha Incumbent | 42.63% | 63,672 |
| Total Votes (100) | 149,364 | |
| Source: Tarrant County, Texas, "Unofficial Results," 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.[4]
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."[5]
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;*[6]
- 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.[4]
*While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their term expires.[4]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Patricia Baca Bennett did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Patricia Baca Bennett did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Bennett participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of local judicial candidates. The following sections display her responses to the survey questions. When asked what non-judicial legal experience qualifies her to be a judge, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | I am Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. I have been practicing Family Law in Tarrant County for 21 years. I have a unique perspective on the problems facing families as a wife and a mother of two children, including a special-needs child.[7][8] | ” |
When asked why she was running for this particular court seat, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | I am running because I believe that can make a positive difference in this court. My opponent has failed to respect the fundamental rights of parents. I believe that the family unit is in a state of destruction. We can not restore our country until we restore the family. That comes by giving the power back to the parents.[7][8] | ” |
When asked to identify one judge, past or present, who she admires, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | I admire Justice Antonin Scalia. I am a firm believer in a judge's duty to follow the law as written by the legislature and not attempt to make law.[7][8] | ” |
When asked about her primary concern regarding today's judicial system in her state, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | We have an excellent system in Texas. In order for that system to work, the judges must follow the law.[7][8] | ” |
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Patricia Baca Bennett for Judge, "Home," accessed February 23, 2016
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 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
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Ballotpedia's local judicial candidate survey, 2016, "Patricia Baca Bennett's Responses," February 9, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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
