Phil Gommels
Phil Gommels was a 2016 candidate for the Texas 178th District Court in Texas.[1] Gommels lost in the general election on November 8, 2016.
Education
Gommels earned his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D. from Southern Methodist University.[2]
Career
Gommels served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 2002 to 2010. He was a prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney's Office before starting his law practice.[2]
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.[3] Phil Gommels defeated Xavier Alfaro, Nile Copeland, and Bash Sharma in the Texas 178th District Court Republican primary.[1]
| Texas 178th District Court, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Phil Gommels |
51.11% | 109,875 |
| Xavier Alfaro | 26.52% | 57,012 |
| Nile Copeland | 18.52% | 39,817 |
| Bash Sharma | 3.85% | 8,268 |
| Total Votes | 214,972 | |
| Source: Harris County, Texas, "Republican Party Cumulative Report-Unofficial," accessed March 2, 2016 | ||
Kelli Johnson defeated Phil Gommels in the Texas 178th District Court general election.
| Texas 178th District Court, General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Kelli Johnson |
54.11% | 685,362 | |
| Republican | Phil Gommels | 45.89% | 581,206 | |
| Total Votes | 1,266,568 | |||
| 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.[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]
Endorsements
2016
Gommels received endorsements from the following groups in 2016:[7]
- Conservative Republicans of Texas
- Conservative Republicans of Harris County
- Houston Realty Business Coalition (HRBC)
- Kingwood Tea Party
- Spring Tea Party
- United Republicans of Harris County
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Phil Gommels for Judge, "About Phil," accessed February 18, 2016
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," 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
- ↑ Phil Gommels for Judge, "Endorsements," accessed February 18, 2016
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
