Texas Supreme Court elections, 2026
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The terms of seven Texas Supreme Court and Texas Court of Criminal Appeals justices will expire on January 10, 2027. The seven seats are up for partisan election on November 3, 2026. The primary is March 3, 2026, and a primary runoff is May 26, 2026. The filing deadline is December 8, 2025.
Judges with expiring terms
- This is a list of the justices who must stand for partisan election in 2026 in order to remain on the bench. Justices may choose not to stand for election. This list includes justices on the Texas Supreme Court and Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, both of which serve as Texas' court of last resort. The list is subject to change if justices retire or are appointed.
Texas Supreme Court
■ Jimmy Blacklock
■ James Sullivan
■ Jeffrey S. Boyd
■ Brett Busby
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
■ Bert Richardson
■ Kevin Patrick Yeary
■ David Newell
Candidates and results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
Texas Supreme Court
Place 1
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Place 2
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Place 7
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Place 8
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Place 3
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Place 4
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Place 9
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Texas
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
About the Texas courts of last resort
- See also: Texas Supreme Court
- See also: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Political composition
This is the political composition of the court heading into the 2026 election.
Texas Supreme Court
| ■ Jimmy Blacklock | Appointed by Gov. Don Willett (R) in 2018[1] | |
| ■ James Sullivan | Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2025 | |
| ■ Debra Lehrmann | Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry (R) in 2010 | |
| ■ John Devine | Elected in 2012 | |
| ■ Rebeca Huddle | Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2020 | |
| ■ Jane Bland | Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2019 | |
| ■ Jeffrey S. Boyd | Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry (R) in 2012 | |
| ■ Brett Busby | Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2019 | |
| ■ Evan Young | Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2021 |
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
| ■ Mary Lou Keel | Elected in 2016 | |
| ■ Bert Richardson | Elected in 2015 | |
| ■ Kevin Patrick Yeary | Elected in 2014 | |
| ■ Scott Walker | Elected in 2016 | |
| ■ Jesse McClure | Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in 2020 | |
| ■ Gina Parker | Elected in 2024 | |
| ■ Lee Finley | Elected in 2024 | |
| ■ David Newell | Elected in 2014 | |
| ■ David Schenck | Elected in 2024 |
Selection
The nine justices of the Texas Supreme Court are selected in statewide partisan elections. The elected justices serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to remain on the court.[2]
Qualifications
To serve on the Supreme Court, a justice must be:
- a U.S. citizen;
- a resident of Texas;
- licensed to practice law in the state;
- between the ages of 35 and 75;[3][4] and
- a practicing lawyer and/or justice for at least 10 years.[2]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court is selected by voters at large. He or she serves in that capacity for a full six-year term.[2]
Vacancies
In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement who must be confirmed by the Texas Senate. The appointee serves until the next general election, in which he or she may compete to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.[2]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Note: Blacklock was appointed by Greg Abbott (R) to the chief justice position in 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Texas," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ While no justice older than 74 may run for office, sitting justices who turn 75 are permitted to remain on the court until their terms expire.
- ↑ Texas State Historical Association, "Judiciary," accessed September 12, 2014
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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