Texas Supreme Court elections, 2022

2022 State Judicial Elections
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Texas is one of two states with two courts of last resort. The Texas Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort for civil matters. The terms of three supreme court justices expired on December 31, 2022. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the state's court of last resort for criminal matters. The terms of three court of criminal appeals justices expired on December 31, 2022. All six seats were up for partisan election on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for March 1, 2022.

Texas was one of 30 states that held elections for state supreme court in 2022. That year, 84 of the 344 seats on state supreme courts were up for election. Of those, 64 were held by nonpartisan justices, 13 were held by Republican justices, and eight were held by Democratic justices. For more on the partisan affiliation of state supreme court justices, click here. For an overview of state supreme court elections in 2022, click here.

Candidates and election results

Texas Supreme Court

General election

General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 3

Incumbent Debra Lehrmann defeated Erin Nowell and Tom Oxford in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 3 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Debra Lehrmann (R)	56.2	4,475,136
		Erin Nowell (D)	41.8	3,330,529
		Tom Oxford (L)	2.0	162,036

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,967,701
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 3

Erin Nowell advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 3 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Erin Nowell	100.0	914,184

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 914,184
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 3

Incumbent Debra Lehrmann advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 3 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Debra Lehrmann	100.0	1,535,581

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,535,581
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 3

Tom Oxford advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Supreme Court Place 3 on April 10, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Tom Oxford (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

General election for Texas Supreme Court Place 5

Incumbent Rebeca Huddle defeated Amanda Reichek in the general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 5 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rebeca Huddle (R)	57.1	4,530,668
		Amanda Reichek (D)	42.9	3,406,054

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,936,722
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 5

Amanda Reichek advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 5 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Amanda Reichek	100.0	913,836

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 913,836
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 5

Incumbent Rebeca Huddle advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 5 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rebeca Huddle	100.0	1,519,069

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,519,069
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

Special general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 9

Incumbent Evan Young defeated Julia Maldonado in the special general election for Texas Supreme Court Place 9 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Evan Young (R)	56.4	4,474,900
		Julia Maldonado (D)	43.6	3,458,103

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,933,003
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 9

Julia Maldonado advanced from the special Democratic primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 9 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Julia Maldonado	100.0	922,595

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 922,595
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 9

Incumbent Evan Young defeated David Schenck in the special Republican primary for Texas Supreme Court Place 9 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Evan Young	54.9	860,852
		David Schenck	45.1	708,359

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,569,211
= 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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Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

General election

The general election was canceled. Incumbent Mary Lou Keel won election in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2

Incumbent Mary Lou Keel advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Lou Keel	100.0	1,485,583

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,485,583
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

General election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5

Incumbent Scott Walker defeated Dana Huffman in the general election for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Walker (R)	56.9	4,513,500
		Dana Huffman (D)	43.1	3,413,071

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,926,571
= 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 Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5

Dana Huffman advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dana Huffman	100.0	911,472

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 911,472
= 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 Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5

Incumbent Scott Walker defeated Clint Morgan in the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Walker	56.6	884,160
		Clint Morgan	43.4	677,504

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,561,664
= 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.

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

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,910,012
= 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 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

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 906,119
= 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 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

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,474,886
= 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.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Texas

Election information in Texas: Nov. 8, 2022, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: Oct. 11, 2022
• By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 11, 2022
• Online: N/A

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

No

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

• In-person: Oct. 28, 2022
• By mail: Received by Oct. 28, 2022
• Online: N/A

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

• In-person: Nov. 8, 2022
• By mail: Received by Nov. 8, 2022

Was early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 24, 2022 to Nov. 4, 2022

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

N/A

Campaign finance

The section below contains data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. To view data for each court, click on the appropriate bar below to expand it. The data is gathered and made available by Transparency USA.

• Texas Supreme Court (click to expand)

  Place 3

  General election

  Democratic primary

  Republican primary

  Libertarian primary

  Place 5

  General election

  Democratic primary

  Republican primary

  Place 9

  General election

  Democratic primary

  Republican primary

• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (click to expand)

  Place 2

  General election

  Republican primary

  Place 5

  General election

  Democratic primary

  Republican primary

  Place 6

  General election

  Democratic primary

  Republican primary

About the Texas Supreme Court

See also: Texas Supreme Court

The Texas Supreme Court is the highest court in the state of Texas for civil matters. As the court of last resort, the supreme court hears appeals of decisions in civil cases from lower courts. Its decisions are not subject to review by any other court.

Political composition

This was the political composition of the supreme court heading into the 2022 election. Justices on the Texas Supreme Court are elected to their seats, and replacements are appointed by the governor in the case of midterm vacancies.

■ Jimmy Blacklock		Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2018; elected in 2018
■ Jeffrey S. Boyd		Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry (R) in 2012; elected in 2014 and 2020
■ Jane Bland		Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2019; elected in 2020
■ Brett Busby		Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2019; elected in 2020
■ John Devine		Elected in 2012 and 2018
■ Nathan Hecht		Elected to court in 1988, 1994, 2000, 2006, and 2012; appointed chief justice by Gov. Rick Perry (R) in 2013; elected in 2014 and 2020
■ Debra Lehrmann		Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry (R) in 2010; elected in 2010 and 2016
■ Rebeca Huddle		Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2020
■ Evan Young		Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2021

About the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

See also: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the court of last resort for all criminal matters in Texas.

Political composition of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

This was the political composition of the court heading into the 2022 election. Judges on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals are elected to their seats, and replacements are appointed by the governor in the case of midterm vacancies.

■ Barbara Hervey		Elected in 2000, 2006, 2012, and 2018
■ Jesse McClure		Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2020
■ Mary Lou Keel		Elected in 2016
■ Sharon Keller		Elected in 1994, 2000, 2006, 2012, and 2018
■ David Newell		Elected in 2014 and 2020
■ Bert Richardson		Elected in 2014 and 2020
■ Michelle Slaughter		Elected in 2018
■ Scott Walker		Elected in 2016
■ Kevin Patrick Yeary		Elected in 2014 and 2020

Selection

See also: Partisan elections

The nine justices of the supreme court and nine judges of the court of criminal appeals are selected in partisan elections. The elected justices and judges serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to continue serving. In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement until the next general election, in which he or she may compete to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. If the legislature is in session when the appointment is made, the Texas State Senate must confirm the appointee. If the legislature is not in session, the appointee does not require state Senate confirmation.

Qualifications

To serve on either court, a justice or judge must be:

• a U.S. citizen;
• a resident of Texas;
• licensed to practice law in the state;
• between the ages of 35 and 75; and
• a practicing lawyer and/or judge for at least 10 years.

While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their terms expire.

Selection of the chief justice or judge

The chief justice or judge of each court is selected by voters at large. He or she serves in that capacity for a full six-year term.

Analysis

Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters (2021)

See also: Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters

In 2020, Ballotpedia published Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters, a study on how state supreme court justices decided the cases that came before them. Our goal was to determine which justices ruled together most often, which frequently dissented, and which courts featured the most unanimous or contentious decisions.

The study tracked the position taken by each state supreme court justice in every case they decided in 2020, then tallied the number of times the justices on the court ruled together. We identified the following types of justices:

• We considered two justices opinion partners if they frequently concurred or dissented together throughout the year.
• We considered justices a dissenting minority if they frequently opposed decisions together as a -1 minority.
• We considered a group of justices a determining majority if they frequently determined cases by a +1 majority throughout the year.
• We considered a justice a lone dissenter if he or she frequently dissented alone in cases throughout the year.

Summary of cases decided in 2020

• Number of justices: 9
• Number of cases: 90
• Percentage of cases with a unanimous ruling: 82.2% (74)
• Justice most often writing the majority opinion: Justices Bland and Busby (10 each)
• Per curiam decisions: 28
• Concurring opinions: 11
• Justice with most concurring opinions: Justices Guzman and Blacklock (3 each)
• Dissenting opinions: 17
• Justice with most dissenting opinions: Justice Boyd (6)

For the study's full set of findings in Texas, click here.

Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship (2020)

See also: Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship

Last updated: June 15, 2020

In 2020, Ballotpedia published Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship, a study examining the partisan affiliation of all state supreme court justices in the country as of June 15, 2020.

The study presented Confidence Scores that represented our confidence in each justice's degree of partisan affiliation, based on a variety of factors. This was not a measure of where a justice fell on the political or ideological spectrum, but rather a measure of how much confidence we had that a justice was or had been affiliated with a political party. To arrive at confidence scores we analyzed each justice's past partisan activity by collecting data on campaign finance, past political positions, party registration history, as well as other factors. The five categories of Confidence Scores were:

• Strong Democrat
• Mild Democrat
• Indeterminate
• Mild Republican
• Strong Republican

We used the Confidence Scores of each justice to develop a Court Balance Score, which attempted to show the balance among justices with Democratic, Republican, and Indeterminate Confidence Scores on a court. Courts with higher positive Court Balance Scores included justices with higher Republican Confidence Scores, while courts with lower negative Court Balance Scores included justices with higher Democratic Confidence Scores. Courts closest to zero either had justices with conflicting partisanship or justices with Indeterminate Confidence Scores.

Texas had a Court Balance Score of 10.4, indicating Republican control of the court. In total, the study found that there were 15 states with Democrat-controlled courts, 27 states with Republican-controlled courts, and eight states with Split courts. The map below shows the court balance score of each state.

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Texas Supreme Court

Footnotes

Texas courts

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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

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