Latosha Payne
Latosha Payne (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Texas 55th District Court. She assumed office on January 1, 2019. Her current term ends on December 31, 2026.
Payne (Democratic Party) is running for re-election for judge of the Texas 55th District Court. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. She advanced from the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.
Elections
2026
See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2026)
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for Texas 55th District Court
Incumbent Latosha Payne (D) and Nile Copeland (R) are running in the general election for Texas 55th District Court on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Latosha Payne (D) | ||
 | Nile Copeland (R)  | |
| ||||
| = 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
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary for Texas 55th District Court
Incumbent Latosha Payne (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 55th District Court on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Latosha Payne | 100.0 | 306,864 | |
| Total votes: 306,864 | |||
| = 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
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Republican primary for Texas 55th District Court
Nile Copeland (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 55th District Court on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Nile Copeland | 100.0 | 155,128 |
| Total votes: 155,128 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2022
See also: Municipal elections in Harris County, Texas (2022)
General election
General election for Texas 55th District Court
Incumbent Latosha Payne defeated Nile Copeland in the general election for Texas 55th District Court on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Latosha Payne (D) | 51.2 | 548,194 | |
| Nile Copeland (R) | 48.8 | 523,089 | |
| Total votes: 1,071,283 | |||
| = 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 55th District Court
Incumbent Latosha Payne advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas 55th District Court on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Latosha Payne | 100.0 | 144,636 | |
| Total votes: 144,636 | |||
| = 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 55th District Court
Nile Copeland advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 55th District Court on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Nile Copeland | 100.0 | 144,094 |
| Total votes: 144,094 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for Texas 55th District Court
Latosha Payne defeated incumbent Jeff Shadwick in the general election for Texas 55th District Court on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Latosha Payne (D) | 54.8 | 648,632 | |
| Jeff Shadwick (R) | 45.2 | 535,488 | ||
| Total votes: 1,184,120 | |||
| = 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 55th District Court
Latosha Payne defeated Paul Simon in the Democratic primary for Texas 55th District Court on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Latosha Payne | 70.2 | 101,038 | |
| Paul Simon | 29.8 | 42,981 | ||
| Total votes: 144,019 | |||
| = 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 55th District Court
Incumbent Jeff Shadwick advanced from the Republican primary for Texas 55th District Court on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jeff Shadwick | 100.0 | 116,830 | |
| Total votes: 116,830 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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.[1]
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."[2]
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;*[3]
- 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.[1]
*While no judge older than 74 may run for office, sitting judges who turn 75 are permitted to continue serving until their term expires.[1]
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Latosha Payne has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Latosha Payne asking her to fill out the survey. If you are Latosha Payne, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?
Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for. More than 26,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.
You can ask Latosha Payne to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing vote4judge@latoshalewispayne.com.
2022
Latosha Payne did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
|
Personal |
Footnotes
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
