Texas has two courts of last resort — the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Civil cases and juvenile discipline cases are appealed to the former, while adult criminal cases are appealed to the latter.
The judgeships are elected statewide and each court has been composed entirely of Republicans for decades.
Republican Justice Evan Young, who was appointed to succeed former Republican Justice Eva Guzman when she resigned to run for state attorney general, defeated Justice David Schenck with 55 percent of the vote. Schenck is a justice on the Fifth District Court of Appeals.
In the general election, Young will face Democratic Judge Julia Maldonado, who serves on the 507th District Court in Harris County.
Attorney General Ken Paxton and Land Commissioner George P. Bush are competing in a GOP runoff on May 24 after no candidate received a majority on primary day. Guzman and another candidate, Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX-01), did not receive enough votes to make the runoff.
Republican Justices Debra Lehrmann and Rebeca Huddle had no primary opponents. In the general election, Lehrmann will face Democrat Erin Nowell and Huddle will compete against Democrat Amanda Reichek. Both Nowell and Reichek are justices on the Fifth District Court of Appeals.
Judge Scott Walker won the Republican nomination comfortably with 57 percent of the vote, defeating primary challenger Clint Morgan. Walker will be on the ballot with municipal judge and prosecutor Dana Huffman, the Democratic nominee.
Judges Mary Lou Keel and Jesse F. McClure III faced no opposition. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed McClure to the bench in 2020 to finish the unexpired term of former Judge Michael Keasler, who had to step down due to a mandatory retirement provision in the Texas Constitution.
McClure’s Democratic opponent is 177th Criminal District Court Judge Robert Johnson of Harris County.
None of the Democrats who ran for either the Supreme Court or the Court of Criminal Appeals had primary opponents.
Election Day is on November 8, 2022.
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- Amanda Reichek
- Clint Morgan
- Dana Huffman
- David Schenck
- Debra Lehrmann
- Erin Nowell
- Eva Guzman
- Evan Young
- Fifth District Court of Appeals
- George P. Bush
- Greg Abbott
- Harris County
- Jesse Foster McClure III
- Julia Maldonado
- Ken Paxton
- Louie Gohmert
- Mary Lou Keel
- Michael Keasler
- Rebeca Huddle
- Robert Johnson
- Scott Walker
- Texas Constitution
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
- Texas Supreme Court
Hayden Sparks
Hayden Sparks is a senior reporter for The Texan and a lifelong resident of the Lone Star State. He has coached competitive speech and debate and has been involved in politics since a young age. One of Hayden's favorite quotes is by Sam Houston: "Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may."
