Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
Shawna Reagin
Shawna L. Reagin was a 2016 candidate for the Texas 176th District Court in Texas.[1] She was defeated in the primary election on March 1, 2016.
Reagin was a judge for Texas District 176.[2] She was elected in 2008 and retired from the court at the end of 2012, after losing re-election.[3]
Reagin ran for election to the 248th District Court in 2014.[4]
Education
| Campaign ad (January 26, 2016) |
Reagin received her undergraduate degree from University of St. Thomas and her J.D. from University of Houston Law School.[5]
Career
Reagin was elected judge of Texas District 176 in 2008. Prior to her election, she practiced law for 18 years.[5]
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.[6] Nikita Harmon defeated Shawna Reagin in the Texas 176th District Court Democratic primary.[1]
| Texas 176th District Court, Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Nikita Harmon |
52.32% | 80,677 |
| Shawna Reagin | 47.68% | 73,517 |
| Total Votes | 154,194 | |
| Source: Harris County, Texas, "Democratic Party Cumulative Report-Unofficial," 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.[7]
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."[8]
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;*[9]
- 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.[7]
*While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their term expires.[7]
2014
See also: Texas judicial elections, 2014
Reagin ran for election to the 248th District Court.
Primary: She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on March 4, 2014.
General: She was defeated in the general election on November 4, 2014, after receiving 45.6 percent of the vote. She competed against Katherine Cabaniss.
[4]
2012
Reagin ran for re-election to the 176th District Court and was defeated by challenger Stacey Bond.[10][3]
- See also: Texas judicial elections, 2012
Endorsements
2016
Reagin received the following endorsements in 2016:[11]
- Harris County Labor Assembly AFL-CIO
- Houston GLBT Political Caucus
- Coalition of Black Democrats
- Houston Stonewall Young Democrats
- Mexican-American Bar Association of Houston
- Association of Women Attorneys
Awards and associations
Associations
- Member Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association
- Member, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
- Sustaining Member, Harris County Democratic Party[5]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ 176th District
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Harris County, Texas-2012 General Elections Results
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Harris County Texas, "Democratic Party Cumulative Report - March 4, 2014 Primary Election," March 5, 2014 (dead link)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Campaign Website Bio
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 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
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2012 General Election Results," November 6, 2012
- ↑ Shawna L. Reagin 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
