Tonya Parker
Tonya Parker (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Texas 116th District Court. She assumed office in 2014. Her current term ends on December 31, 2026.
Parker (Democratic Party) is running for re-election for judge of the Texas 116th District Court. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.[source]
Elections
2026
See also: Municipal elections in Dallas 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 116th District Court
Incumbent Tonya Parker (D) is running in the Democratic primary for Texas 116th District Court on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Tonya Parker | ||
| ||||
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Endorsements
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2024
See also: Texas intermediate appellate court elections, 2024
General election
General election for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 13
Incumbent Emily Miskel defeated Tonya Parker in the general election for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 13 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Emily Miskel (R) | 50.1 | 761,488 |
| Tonya Parker (D) | 49.9 | 756,942 | ||
| Total votes: 1,518,430 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 13
Tonya Parker advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 13 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Tonya Parker | 100.0 | 144,420 | |
| Total votes: 144,420 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 13
Incumbent Emily Miskel advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals Place 13 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Emily Miskel | 100.0 | 186,062 |
| Total votes: 186,062 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Parker in this election.
2022
See also: Municipal elections in Dallas County, Texas (2022)
General election
The general election was canceled. Incumbent Tonya Parker won election in the general election for Texas 116th District Court.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas 116th District Court
Incumbent Tonya Parker advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 116th District Court on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Tonya Parker | 100.0 | 116,301 | |
| Total votes: 116,301 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for Texas 116th District Court
Incumbent Tonya Parker won election in the general election for Texas 116th District Court on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Tonya Parker (D) | 100.0 | 483,486 | |
| Total votes: 483,486 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas 116th District Court
Incumbent Tonya Parker advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 116th District Court on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Tonya Parker | 100.0 | 99,511 | |
| Total votes: 99,511 | |||
| = 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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2014
See also: Texas judicial elections, 2014
Parker ran for re-election to the 101st District Court.
Primary: She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on March 4, 2014.
General: She won without opposition in the general election on November 4, 2014.
[1][2]
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.[3]
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."[4]
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;*[5]
- 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.[3]
*While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their term expires.[3]
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
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2024
Tonya Parker did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Tonya Parker did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Education
Parker earned a B.A. from the University of North Texas, going on to receive her J.D. from Southern Methodist University. She was admitted to the bar in 1999.[6]
Career
- 2010-Present: Judge, Texas District 116
- 2007-2009: Partner, Gruber Hurst Johansen Hail, LLP
- 1998-2007: Member (Partner as of October 2004), Adorno Yoss White & Wiggins, LLP[7]
Noteworthy events
Judge refused to conduct marriage ceremonies
In February 2012, Parker made national news by refusing to conduct marriage ceremonies in her courtroom. Parker said she opposed the ceremonies because she felt that they were not an "equal application of the law." Parker is openly gay.[8]
Parker explained:
| “ | … So I usually will offer them something along the lines of, ‘I’m sorry. I don’t perform marriage ceremonies because we are in a state that does not have marriage equality, and until it does, I am not going to partially apply the law to one group of people that doesn’t apply to another group of people.'[8][9] | ” |
Parker's position drew criticism. Opponents said she was openly defying Texas law. The Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct, which investigates allegations of judicial misconduct, had no comment on the situation.[10]
Update: Parker performed first Dallas same-sex marriage
On June 26, 2015, Parker conducted Dallas' first same-sex marriage. It was also the first time she had performed a marriage in more than three years.[11][12]
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 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 "Dallas")
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 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
- ↑ Martindale, Tonya Parker Lawyer Profile
- ↑ Official campaign website of Tonya Parker
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 New York Daily News, "Gay judge won't perform straight marriages," February 23, 2012
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ ABCNews, "Gay Texas Judge Refuses to Perform Marriage Ceremonies," February 24, 2012
- ↑ WFAA, "1st Dallas same-sex marriage momentous for couple and judge," June 26, 2015
- ↑ Fox4, "First same-sex couple married in Dallas after historic Supreme Court ruling," June 26, 2015
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
