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Editor’s note: To help readers learn more about the candidates running for statewide seats, The Texas Tribune is sharing information about the Republican, Democratic and third-party candidates. For more information on midterms and the voting process, check out our election resources here.
About the elected seat: The Texas Supreme Court is the state’s highest civil court, the final arbiter of major issues of state law. Justices are elected to six-year terms in partisan elections, but if a justice steps down before their term expires the governor appoints their successor. Gov. Greg Abbott, a former member of the court, initially appointed seven of the nine current justices. All of the current justices are Republicans; there has not been a Democrat elected to the bench since the 1990s.
What’s at stake: The Texas Supreme Court interprets the state Constitution to decide issues of major importance, like whether state laws can remain in effect or if elected leaders are overstepping their roles. They get to decide which cases to review, and their rulings — as it pertains to purely state law — are final, giving the nine justices huge influence over the laws of Texas. (The U.S. Supreme Court can overrule a state supreme court in cases that involve federal law.) In recent years, the Supreme Court upheld Texas’ near-total abortion ban and prohibition on gender-transition care for minors; weighed in on pandemic protocols for elections and evictions; and intervened to delay the execution of Robert Roberson, a death row inmate accused of killing his 2-year-old daughter. The court also has the power to create rules for the judiciary, including recently affirming that judges can decline to perform same-sex marriages based on sincerely held religious beliefs. Four of the nine spots on the court are on the ballot this year, including the chief justice position.
Candidates at a glance:
Place 1, Chief Justice
Texas Courts
Jimmy Blacklock
Republican, incumbent
💰 Campaign finance:
Cash on hand as of June 30: $783,574
Raised between Jan. 1-June 30: $381,700
💰 Major donors this year:
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, the state’s leading advocacy group for limiting businesses’ legal liability – $25,000
Hunton Andrews Kurth PAC – $15,000
Jackson Walker LLP PAC – $10,000
Valero Energy Corporation PAC – $10,000
TREPAC-Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee – $10,000
Texas Alliance for Life PAC (Spent money in support of the candidate. This may have been done without the candidate’s knowledge or consent.)
Experience:
Chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court since January 2025
Appointed to the Texas Supreme Court by Abbott in January 2018
Served as Abbott’s general counsel from 2015 to 2018, and worked under him at the Texas Attorney General’s Office from 2009 to 2015
Clerked for Judge Jerry Smith on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Graduate of Yale Law School
Political ideology: Blacklock is a Republican who touts his strict adherence to the plain text of the Constitution, a judicial philosophy known as “originalism” adopted by the conservative legal movement. Before he became a judge, he oversaw legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act, defended Texas’ abortion laws and fought against benefits for same-sex couples, among a slew of other cases.
In the news:
Texas Supreme Court rejects Abbott’s request to remove Democratic Rep. Gene Wu from office over redistricting protest, The Texas Tribune (2026)
Legal fight over SpaceX beach closures hits Texas Supreme Court, The Texas Tribune (2026)
Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Warns Dallas Judge Over Courtroom Mask Mandate, Texas Scorecard (2026)
Texas Supreme Court ‘Decisively’ Answers State Commission on Judicial Conduct About Same-Sex Ceremonies, The Texan (2026)
Texas Justices End Case Assignment System in Austin, San Antonio, Bloomberg Law (2026)
New Texas Supreme Court chief justice calls for judicial raises, changes to bail laws, The Texas Tribune (2025)
Jimmy Blacklock named new chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, The Texas Tribune (2025)
He’s been a Texas Supreme Court justice for a month. Now Jimmy Blacklock must become a candidate., The Texas Tribune (2018)
Endorsements:
Gov. Greg Abbott
Anti-abortion groups Texas Alliance for Life and Texas Right to Life
Texas Civil Justice League, a group focused on electing judges who support restricting lawsuits against businesses
How to contact:
Campaign photo
💰 Campaign finance:
Cash on hand as of June 30: $53,034
Raised Jan. 1-June 30: $33,766
💰 Major donors this year:
Democratic Women of Comal County – $2,500
Elizabeth Davis, retired – $3,500
James Gilbreath, attorney at Walters Gilbreath PLLC – $2,632
Todd L. Kelly, attorney at Lone Star Legal – $1,000
Sharon Richardson, retired – $1,000
Experience:
Justice on Texas’ 3rd Court of Appeals since January 2025
Previously worked in private practice with a focus on juvenile and family law
Former assistant district attorney at the Travis County District Attorney’s Office
Former administrative law judge
Former public school teacher and foster mom
Political ideology: Ellis is a Democrat who is running on a platform of removing politics from the judiciary and expanding access to justice. She has said she decided to run for the seat after the Texas Supreme Court issued guidance saying judges did not have to perform same-sex marriages, a decision she called “an attack on our community and our Constitution.”
In the news:
Endorsements:
AFL-CIO
Coalition for Democratic Allies, a Central Texas organizing group
Austin Young Democrats
Bexar County Young Democrats
Liberal Austin Democrats
NxNW Democrats, an Austin-based group
Stonewall Democrats of Austin
The Caucus, a Houston LGBTQ+ political advocacy group
Sabine Area Central Labor Council
How to contact:
Place 2
Texas Courts
James Sullivan
Republican, incumbent
💰 Campaign finance:
Cash on hand as of June 30: $590,381
Raised between Jan. 1-June 30: $317,601
💰 Major donors this year:
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, the state’s leading advocacy group for limiting businesses’ legal liability – $25,000
Bracewell PAC – $10,000
Jackson Walker L.L.P PAC – $15,000
Baker Botts Amicus Fund – $10,000
Kelly Hart PAC – $10,000
Texas Alliance for Life PAC (Spent money in support of the candidate. This may have been done without the candidate’s knowledge or consent.)
Texans for Life Committee LIFE PAC (Spent money in support of the candidate. This may have been done without the candidate’s knowledge or consent.)
Experience:
Appointed by Abbott to the Texas Supreme Court in January 2025
Served as Abbott’s general counsel and deputy general counsel
Served as assistant solicitor general when Abbott was attorney general
Clerked for Judge Thomas B. Griffith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Graduate of Harvard Law School
Political ideology: Sullivan is a conservative Republican who has said he will “run through a wall for the rule of law” and promises “bold, relentless, conservative judging.”
In the news:
Endorsements:
Gov. Greg Abbott
Texas Alliance for Life, an anti-abortion group
Texas Civil Justice League, a group focused on electing judges who support restricting lawsuits against businesses
How to contact:
P.O. Box 11583
Austin, TX 78711
Texas Courts
💰 Campaign finance:
Cash on hand as of June 30: $105,425
Raised between Jan. 1-June 30: $57,056
💰 Major donors this year:
Benny Agosto Jr PC, managing partner at Abraham Watkins – $5,000
Randy Howry, partner at Howry Breen & Herman LLP – $5,000
Jack E. McGehee LP, founding partner at a trial firm – $5,000
Yvonne Puig, partner at Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP – $5,000
Steven Samples, attorney at Samples Ames – $5,000
Experience:
Has served on Texas’ 3rd Court of Appeals since 2019
Former felony prosecutor for the Travis and Comal County district attorney’s offices
Former assistant attorney general in the Civil Medicaid Fraud unit at the Texas Office of the Attorney General
Former staff attorney for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
An Army veteran, Kelly was a paratrooper and captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps where she worked as a defense attorney at Fort Hood and Joint Base San Antonio
Political ideology: Kelly is a Democrat who says she is a “committed defender of the Constitution.”
In the news:
Endorsements:
AFL-CIO
Austin Young Democrats
Bay Area Democratic Movement
Liberal Austin Democrats
University Democrats
Sabine Area Central Labor Council
How to contact:
Place 7
Texas Courts
Kyle Hawkins
Republican, incumbent
💰 Campaign finance:
Cash on hand as of June 30: $216,374
Raised between Jan. 1-June 30: 106,770
💰 Major donors this year:
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, the state’s leading advocacy group for limiting businesses’ legal liability – $25,000
Bracewell PAC – $10,000
Valero PAC (State) – $10,000
Texas Apartment Association PAC – $5,000
Davis, Gerald & Cremer PC, a Texas energy law firm – $2,500
Texans for Life Committee LIFE PAC (Spent money in support of the candidate. This may have been done without the candidate’s knowledge or consent.)
Experience:
The newest Supreme Court justice, Hawkins was appointed by Abbott in October 2025
Served on the transition team for the Trump administration’s Department of Justice as counselor to the U.S. solicitor general
Attorney in private practice at Lehotsky Keller and Gibson Dunn
Served as Texas solicitor general from 2018 to 2021, and assistant solicitor general from 2017 to 2018
Law clerk to Judge Edith Jones on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and Justice Samuel Alito on the U.S. Supreme Court
Political ideology: Hawkins is a conservative Republican who, as an attorney, has litigated major cases against the Affordable Care Act and Planned Parenthood, and testified to Congress about constitutional issues with the Voting Rights Act.
In the news:
Endorsements:
Gov. Greg Abbott
Texas Civil Justice League, a group focused on electing judges who support restricting lawsuits against businesses
How to contact:
Campaign photo
💰 Campaign finance:
Cash on hand as of June 30: $301,668
Raised between Jan. 1-June 30: $279,197
💰 Major donors this cycle:
The West Law Firm – $35,000
Muhammad Aziz, attorney at Abraham Watkins Nichols Agosto Aziz & Stogner – $10,000
Marcus Spagnoletti, attorney at Spagnoletti Law Firm – $10,000
Kherkher Garcia LLP, a Houston personal injury law firm – $10,000
Robert Hillard and the Robert C. Hillard LLP – $6,500
Experience:
Judge of the 11th District Court in Houston since 2017, where she led the court’s response to COVID-19 and has been appointed to oversee two multidistrict litigation proceedings, including the Astroworld lawsuits
Previously ran her own private practice focused on Social Security disability claims
Served as tax master, presiding over cases involving delinquent property taxes, for a swath of Harris County for five years
Political ideology:
Hawkins, a Democrat, is running on her experience as a trial court judge. She said the high court could benefit from the perspectives of district judges, who are often tasked with implementing Supreme Court rulings and see their effects on parties, lawyers and judges. Hawkins is a strong believer in access to jury trials, and said appellate courts should be cautious in overturning jury verdicts.
In the news:
Endorsements:
Bexar County Young Democrats
Liberal Austin Democrats
The Caucus, a Houston LGBTQ political group
Texas AFL-CIO
How to contact:
Place 8
Texas Courts
Brett Busby
Republican, incumbent
💰 Campaign finance:
Cash on hand as of June 30: $1.3 million
Raised between Jan. 1-June 30: $580,995
💰 Major donors this cycle:
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, the state’s leading advocacy group for limiting businesses’ legal liability – $25,000
Vinson & Elkins Texas PAC, associated with the major Houston law firm – $25,000
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP Texas Committee, associated with the global law firm – $10,000
Centerpoint Energy, Inc. PAC – $10,000
Bracewell PAC – $10,000
Texans for Life PAC (Spent money in support of the candidate. This may have been done without the candidate’s knowledge or consent.)
Experience:
Appointed by Abbott to the Supreme Court in 2019
Former justice on Texas’ 14th Court of Appeals in Houston from 2012 to 2018
Former appellate attorney in private practice
Clerked for Judge Gerald B. Tjoflat of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court
Political ideology: Busby is a Republican who, before becoming a judge, worked with conservative legal groups like the Federalist Society, the Alliance Defending Freedom and First Liberty. Since joining the court, he has advocated for expanding access to legal services and civic education.
In the news:
Endorsements:
Gov. Greg Abbott
Texas Civil Justice League, a group focused on electing judges who support restricting lawsuits against businesses
Texas Alliance for Life, an anti-abortion group
How to contact:
Texas Courts
💰 Campaign finance:
Cash on hand as of June 30: $128,786
Raised between Jan. 1-June 30: $9,425
💰 Major donors this year:
FVF Law, an Austin personal injury law firm – $2,500
Kirker Davis LLP, an Austin family law firm – $2,500
McGinnis Lochridge, a Texas based law firm – $2,000
Richardson Firm PLLC – $500
Carlos Soltero, attorney at Maynard Nexsen – $500
Experience:
Justice on Texas’ 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin since 2019
Previously served as judge of the 200th District Court, taking office in 2005
Justice of the peace and county court-at-law judge from 1994 to 2004
Political ideology: Triana is running as a Democrat. When she ran for the same seat in 2020, Triana said the all-Republican makeup of the court made it overly “result-oriented and beholden to special interests,” and criticized their rulings allowing evictions and debt collections to resume during COVID.
In the news:
Endorsements:
Liberal Austin Democrats
University Democrats
Texas AFL-CIO
Panhandle Democrats
How to contact:
Disclosure: Kristen Hawkins, Planned Parenthood and Texas Civil Justice League have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune within the past five years. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in our journalism. Find a complete list of them and more information about our financial and disclosure policies here.