Note: Ronald Sanders, who is opposing incumbent Brummett in the March 3 primary, did not respond to our questions.

Tom Brummett

What are your three priorities and if elected, what will you do about them?

#1: Continue to address the backlog of pending cases in the court. When I took the bench in January of 2023, the court’s backlog was 2,282 cases. In November of 2025, it was 1,504. That means we have disposed of 773 more cases than we took in (approximately 7,000 cases) – a backlog decrease of 29 percent. Those are great numbers, but there is always room for improvement. The key to addressing the backlog is to employ active case management and exercise proportionality in what the court hears.

#2: Encourage trust in the judicial system. Today, many of our institutions are under attack. The rule of law is a foundation of our government. Unless a society believes that none are above the law, those responsible for enforcing it have nothing but the most serious dedication to justice and defense of the United States and Texas Constitutions, we cannot expect society to believe in any of our other institutions or traditions. If re-elected, I will strive to ensure that even if a party does not receive the result they wanted, they still believe the rules were fairly applied and they were able to be heard.  

#3: Be a more effective ambassador for our Specialty Courts, particularly the DWI Court. I was a founding member of the program (the first of its kind in Lubbock) in 2007 and served for 17 years as the district attorney’s representative.  Now the program’s presiding judge, I am constantly surprised at the number of people who are unaware of the program and the lives it has changed while holding participants accountable and the community safe.

What do you wish the public knew about the court system?

I wish the public had a better understanding of what matters each court handles. For example, a judge of a County Court at Law is different from the county judge, who is a member of the larger Commissioner’s Court.

At times, I also wish more of the public understood a judge’s proper role is akin to a sports referee – to make sure the rules are followed and not to affect the ultimate outcome. Judges are often called upon to make decisions and rulings they may not personally agree with, but that follow the law they swore to uphold.

Outside the office you are seeking, what are the ways you have participated in the community, for example: boards, volunteer positions, or other offices you previously held?

I currently serve on the Board of Directors for the Lubbock Area Bar Association, helping to provide education, professional development and service programs for our local legal professionals and the broader community.

I have been a member of the Lubbock Lions Club for 10 years and routinely volunteer in the service capacities they provide.

Presiding over the DWI Court previously mentioned is also a volunteer service beyond my assigned duties and is truly one of my strongest passions – helping to rebuild lives and families destroyed by addiction.

Related

Related posts