Phyllis Martinez Gonzalez

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Phyllis Martinez Gonzalez

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Houston Baptist University, 1996

Law

Texas Tech University School of Law, 1999

Personal

Birthplace

Houston, Texas

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Judge

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Phyllis Martinez Gonzalez (Republican Party) ran for election for judge of the Texas 383rd District Court. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Gonzalez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Gonzalez was born on Ferbruary 4, 1973, in Houston, Texas. She graduated from Houston Baptist University with a bachelor's degree in 1996. She went on to obtain her J.D. from the Texas Tech University School of Law in 1999. Gonzalez's professional experience includes serving as judge of Title IV-D Court #44. She also has had experience as an assistant attorney general, a special assistant US Attorney General, and managing Attorney General.

Elections

2020

See also: Municipal elections in El Paso County, Texas (2020)

General election

General election for Texas 383rd District Court

Lyda Ness-Garcia defeated Phyllis Martinez Gonzalez in the general election for Texas 383rd District Court on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lyda Ness-Garcia (D)	65.8	166,146
		Phyllis Martinez Gonzalez (R)	34.2	86,540

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 252,686
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for Texas 383rd District Court

Lyda Ness-Garcia defeated Lucila Flores in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas 383rd District Court on July 14, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lyda Ness-Garcia	54.8	16,895
	Submit photo	Lucila Flores	45.2	13,944

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 30,839 (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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas 383rd District Court

Lucila Flores and Lyda Ness-Garcia advanced to a runoff. They defeated Patrick Bramblett in the Democratic primary for Texas 383rd District Court on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Lucila Flores	37.3	22,963
✔		Lyda Ness-Garcia	31.9	19,646
	Submit photo	Patrick Bramblett	30.9	19,025

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 61,634
= 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 383rd District Court

Phyllis Martinez Gonzalez advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 383rd District Court on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Phyllis Martinez Gonzalez	100.0	15,014

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,014
= 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.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Phyllis Martinez Gonzalez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gonzalez'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 the eldest daughter of a traditional Hispanic family. I am a wife, mother and friend. I work as a judge. Family, community, integrity and service are important to me. I enjoy reading, good coffee, and shopping. One of my biggest joys is teaching my daughters and seeing them excited about what they're learning and interested in. My friendships are few, but last a lifetime.

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?

• Experienced. Seven years of judicial family law experience, as well as 20 years of legal public service, primarily in family law, I am the candidate ready to take on a high volume court.
• Fair. I apply the law fairly and evenly. I give all parties ample opportunity to provide me with the information I need to give fair rulings.
• Innovative. I have an Enhanced Service Docket that brings community resources to the courthouse, so families are helped right away. I listen to the community as a whole through my El Paso Community Kitchen Table Talks.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about helping families so that children have loving relationships and parents who are able to be the best parents possible. Families in my court are hurting, they need to know, first and foremost, that the judge will listen to all sides. They also often need some support. For the past seven years, I have cultivated relationships with community resources to help those families get appropriate help. My Enhanced Service Docket began to support families affected by family violence. It has grown to include mental health support, co-parenting classes, help with the practical aspects of visitation, and help providing financially for children.

I am also passionate about educating on all levels. From talking to children about what a judge does to educating lawyers and the judiciary on technology and available resources, I reach out to my community and colleagues. I educate others on the local, state and national levels.

Finally, I'm passionate about El Paso. El Paso has needs specific to our community. From military families to recent immigrants, from parents struggling to support their children alone to families with two involved parents, our families need our courts to hear what they value.

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

There is no one I look up to more than my grandmother. She was an amazing woman. She immigrated from Monterrey, Mexico. Instead of being embarrassed by not going past high school, she worked hard. She was humbled by becoming the first Latina on the Board of Directors of Univision in Houston. While we are proud of that achievement, my family is mostly proud of who my grandmother was. She believed in saving money and hard work, but helping those in your life was most important to her.

From paying someone's electric bill to giving advice to people who relied on her, she helped everyone she could. Her door was open to all. Her grandchildren all knew that when someone walked through her door, it didn't matter who they were. They were given respect because you respect everyone. It didn't matter if they were rich or poor, if they were clean or dirty, nothing mattered except they were in my grandmother's home. Being with my grandmother meant you were respected.

At the same time, my grandmother expected us to act appropriately no matter what our situation. When I was in Houston working as a lawyer, I would visit my grandmother on my lunch. She would tell me to go get 10 mangoes. So, even though I was in my suit, I would go to her mango tree and pick mangoes for my grandmother. Treating everyone with respect included treating everyone as your equal. My grandmother realized that each person has value. When you combine that with hard work, it's unbeatable.

I follow her example because she was amazing person. She encouraged everyone around her. She was trusted and humbled by that trust. She was a good, simple woman, who was also an inspiration.

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

An elected official must serve their community. It is humbling to have trust placed in you and to serve in a way that directly affects other's lives. Remembering that is the most important principle for any elected official. We should act with integrity and transparency, as well as fairness and empathy, as a response to the trust placed in us. It is both an honor and a great responsibility.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like people to remember that I'm kind and treat everyone with respect. I would like to inspire others to communicate well and see the good in each other.

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

Baby Shark. Thanks for reminding me.

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

The most important responsibility, in my opinion, is that a judge must follow the law and can only rule on what's before them with the facts provided. This means that we can't solve everyone's problems and concerns, because we are bound by the law. On the other hand, judges have the power to be innovative. I created my Enhanced Service Docket to provide a direct link between third party resources and the people before me. At times, I am able to order people to take part in some of the services. In other situations, it is more appropriate to suggest services and not require the parties to use the programs offered.

One of the responsibilities held by this office is to ensure transparency in the court, and in the court reporting system. While we have been working on more transparency in the court, there is a discrepancy between the district clerk's office and how the actual fillings are reported. I have been working to resolve this issue.

A judge is also responsible for following the Judicial Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct speaks to our actions both in our position and in our personal lives. One of the tenants of the Code of Conduct is that a judge cannot speak about policy preferences, because our job is to apply the law, whether we agree or not.

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

When I was a new lawyer, I practiced before Justice Eva Guzman's court. At the time, she was a District Court Judge in Harris County. I was awe-struck because she was a Latina who had made it. Her generosity in court made me believe that a young, Hispanic lawyer could help more people. It was possible. She was already well respected because of her kindness, fairness, and hard work. She treated everyone with respect and courtesy.

As Justice Guzman has moved through various positions, she has continued to inspire me. She carries herself with dignity. She is a trail blazer for women, especially Latina women. As a Judge, my view of Justice Guzman guides me on a professional and personal level. While I do not know her personally, her actions towards the community, and her heart for families, speak volumes.

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

I believe it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government. By working in government, one learns the inner workings of agencies, as well as how policies and procedures affect accessibility. This experience allows the judge to include necessary agencies appropriately. A judge also is more aware of the interconnectedness of agencies through prior experience.

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.

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