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Ray Wheless
Ray Wheless (Republican Party) was a judge of the Texas 366th District Court. He assumed office in 2014. He left office in 2019.
Wheless (Republican Party) ran for re-election for judge of the Texas 366th District Court. He won in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Wheless ran for a seat on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 2016 and was one of the top two finishers in the Republican primary.[1] He faced Mary Lou Keel in a May 24 runoff and was defeated.
Career
At the time of his appointment to the Texas District 366 bench, Wheless was a judge on the Collin County Court at Law bench.[2]
Education
Wheless received his undergraduate degree from California State College and his J.D. from the University of Texas.[2]
Elections
2018
General election
General election for Texas 366th District Court
Incumbent Ray Wheless won election in the general election for Texas 366th District Court on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ray Wheless (R) | 100.0 | 212,516 | |
| Total votes: 212,516 | |||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas 366th District Court
Incumbent Ray Wheless advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 366th District Court on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ray Wheless | 100.0 | 44,431 | |
| Total votes: 44,431 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2016
- Main article: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals elections, 2016
Wheless announced that he would challenge incumbent judge Lawrence Meyers (D) in 2016. He faced fellow Republican judges Chris Oldner and Mary Lou Keel in a primary election. He was one of the top two finishers and faced Keel in a May 24 runoff.[1] He was defeated.
May 24 primary runoff
| Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Republican Runoff, Place 2, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Mary Lou Keel |
50.87% | 184,405 | |
| Republican | Ray Wheless | 49.13% | 178,114 | |
| Total Votes (100% Reporting) | 362,519 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results | ||||
March 1 primary
| Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 2, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Mary Lou Keel |
39.42% | 785,448 | |
| Republican | Ray Wheless |
35.43% | 705,909 | |
| Republican | Chris Oldner | 25.15% | 501,063 | |
| Total Votes (100% Reporting) | 1,992,420 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State Official Results | ||||
2014
See also: Texas judicial elections, 2014
Wheless ran for re-election to the 366th District Court.
Primary: He ran unopposed in the Republican primary on March 4, 2014.
General: He won without opposition in the general election on November 4, 2014.
[3][4]
2010
Wheless was re-elected after running unopposed.
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.[5]
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."[6]
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;*[7]
- 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.[5]
*While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their term expires.[5]
See also
| Collin County, Texas | Texas | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Texas Secretary of State, "2016 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County," accessed December 17, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedappt - ↑ 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 "Collin")
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 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
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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
