Robert Johnson (Texas)
Robert Johnson (Democratic Party) is running for election for judge of the Texas 209th District Court. He is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.[source]
Johnson was a judge of the Texas 177th District Court. He left office on December 31, 2024.
Biography
Robert Johnson graduated from Sharpstown High School. Johnson earned a bachelor's degree in business and commerce from the University of Houston in 1990 and a J.D. from Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 2001. His career experience includes founding a law practice and working in criminal defense.[1][2]
Elections
2026
See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (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 209th District Court
Incumbent Brian Warren (D), Robert Johnson (D), and Ysidra Kyles (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Texas 209th District Court on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Brian Warren | |
 | Robert Johnson | |
| Ysidra Kyles | ||
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary
Republican primary for Texas 209th District Court
Tony Coveny (R) is running in the Republican primary for Texas 209th District Court on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Tony Coveny | ||
| ||||
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Endorsements
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2024
See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2024)
General election
General election for Texas 177th District Court
Emily Detoto defeated incumbent Robert Johnson in the general election for Texas 177th District Court on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Emily Detoto (R) | 50.1 | 729,131 |
| Robert Johnson (D) | 49.9 | 725,463 | |
| Total votes: 1,454,594 | |||
| = 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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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas 177th District Court
Incumbent Robert Johnson advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 177th District Court on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Johnson | 100.0 | 137,495 |
| Total votes: 137,495 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas 177th District Court
Emily Detoto advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 177th District Court on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Emily Detoto | 100.0 | 140,724 |
| Total votes: 140,724 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Johnson in this election.
2022
See also: Texas Supreme Court elections, 2022
General election
General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6
Incumbent Jesse McClure defeated Robert Johnson in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jesse McClure (R) | 57.2 | 4,526,307 |
| Robert Johnson (D) | 42.8 | 3,383,705 | |
| Total votes: 7,910,012 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6
Robert Johnson advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Johnson | 100.0 | 906,119 |
| Total votes: 906,119 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6
Incumbent Jesse McClure advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jesse McClure | 100.0 | 1,474,886 |
| Total votes: 1,474,886 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
2020
See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2020)
General election
General election for Texas 177th District Court
Incumbent Robert Johnson won election in the general election for Texas 177th District Court on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Johnson (D) | 100.0 | 1,017,861 |
| Total votes: 1,017,861 | |||
| = 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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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas 177th District Court
Incumbent Robert Johnson advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 177th District Court on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Johnson | 100.0 | 227,354 |
| Total votes: 227,354 | |||
| = 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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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] Robert Johnson defeated David Singer in the Texas 177th District Court Democratic primary.[4]
| Texas 177th District Court, Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Robert Johnson |
51.69% | 77,197 |
| David Singer | 48.31% | 72,153 |
| Total Votes | 149,350 | |
| Source: Harris County, Texas, "Democratic Party Cumulative Report-Unofficial," accessed March 2, 2016 | ||
Robert Johnson defeated incumbent Ryan Patrick in the Texas 177th District Court general election.
| Texas 177th District Court, General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Robert Johnson |
51.40% | 651,563 | |
| Republican | Ryan Patrick Incumbent | 48.60% | 616,104 | |
| Total Votes | 1,267,667 | |||
| 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.[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]
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
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2024
Robert Johnson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Robert Johnson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Robert Johnson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Johnson told the Houston Chronicle that one of his campaign themes was a completely paper-free records system for the court.[8]
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Judge Robert Johnson, "About," accessed February 11, 2022
- ↑ Texas State Directory, "The Honorable Robert Johnson (D)," accessed February 11, 2022
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "For District judges," February 10, 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
