Editor’s note: To help readers learn more about primary candidates, The Texas Tribune is sharing background information on top candidates. In particularly crowded races, we focused on candidates with political experience or demonstrably competitive campaigns, using benchmarks such as fundraising, endorsements and online presence. For a full list of candidates, view our primary ballot page. For more information on the primaries and the voting process, check out our guides and news coverage 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 they step down before their term expires — as is often the case — the governor appoints their successor. Gov. Greg Abbott, a former member of the court, has 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. It decides which cases to review, and its rulings are final, giving the nine justices huge influence over the laws of Texas. In recent years, the Supreme Court has upheld Texas’ bans on abortion and gender-affirming care for minors; weighed in on pandemic protocols for elections and evictions; and delayed the execution of Robert Roberson, a death row inmate accused of killing his 2-year-old daughter. Several very important cases are before the court right now, including the question of whether Democrats who left the state to protest redistricting can be removed from office. Four of the nine spots on the court are on the ballot this year, including the chief justice position. All Republican incumbents face no primary challengers. In the Democratic primary, there are only multiple candidates in the Place 1 and Place 7 elections.
Place 1, Chief Justice
Jimmy Blacklock
Republican
💰 Campaign finance:
- $565,473 cash on hand
💰 Major donors this cycle:
- Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, the state’s leading advocacy group for limiting businesses’ legal liability
- Vinson & Elkins Texas PAC, associated with the major Houston law firm
- Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP Texas Committee, associated with the global law firm
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:
- New Texas Supreme Court chief justice calls for judicial raises, changes to bail laws
- Jimmy Blacklock named new chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court
- He’s been a Texas Supreme Court justice for a month. Now Jimmy Blacklock must become a candidate.
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 or learn more:
contact@jimmyblacklock.com
Blacklock has no Republican opponents.
Cory Carlyle
Democrat
💰 Campaign finance:
- $3,717 cash on hand
💰 Major donors this cycle:
- Paul Wingo, Dallas attorney
- Charles Brady, Arlington attorney
- Thomas Lester, Washington, D.C. attorney
Experience:
- Partner at Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons in Dallas
- Served as a justice on Texas’ 5th Court of Appeals from 2019 to 2025
- Commissioner on the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health
- Assistant attorney general in the Office of the Attorney General for Washington, D.C.
- Assistant district attorney at the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office
- Graduate of the University of Houston Law Center
Political ideology:
- Carlyle is running as a Democrat who says his judicial philosophy is to faithfully interpret laws and follow precedent.
In the news:
Endorsements:
- Preston Hollow Democrats, a Dallas neighborhood group
Maggie Ellis
Democrat
💰 Campaign finance:
- $21,392 cash on hand
💰 Major donors this cycle:
- Blue Victory Communications, a political consulting firm, in-kind video production donation
- Madeleine Connor, controversial former Travis County district judge
- Carlos Salinas, Austin family attorney
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:
- UT alumna becomes first openly queer woman elected to Texas Court of Appeals
- Overcoming Poverty, Abandonment, Texas Woman Running for Judge
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
Place 2
James Sullivan
Republican
💰 Campaign finance:
- $354,765 cash on hand
💰 Major donors this cycle:
- Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, the state’s leading advocacy group for limiting businesses’ legal liability
- Vinson & Elkins Texas PAC, associated with the major Houston law firm
- Valero Energy Corporation PAC, associated with the oil and gas corporation
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:
- Newest Texas High Court Member Seeks Austin Federal Judgeship
- New SCOTX Justice Sullivan Once Ran Afoul of the Fifth Circuit for Tone of Rehearing Petition
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
Sullivan has no Republican opponents.
Chari Kelly
Democrat
💰 Campaign finance:
- $74,328 cash on hand
💰 Major donors this cycle:
- Susan Miller, retired Austin attorney
- Debra Shivers, business manager at Jones Family Farm
Experience:
- 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:
- Texas appellate justices appear skeptical of Attorney General Ken Paxton defense that he’s exempt from state’s whistleblower law
- Democrats sweep 3rd Court of Appeals races
Endorsements:
- AFL-CIO
- Austin Young Democrats
- Bay Area Democratic Movement
- Liberal Austin Democrats
- University Democrats
Kelly has no Democratic opponents.
Place 7
Kyle Hawkins
Republican, incumbent
💰 Campaign finance:
- $231,002 cash on hand
💰 Major donors this cycle:
- Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, the state’s leading advocacy group for limiting businesses’ legal liability
- Vinson & Elkins Texas PAC, associated with the major Houston law firm
- Scott Keller and Steven Lehotsky, founders and partners at Lehotsky Keller, Hawkins’ former employer
Experience:
- The newest Supreme Court justice, Hawkins was appointed by Abbott in October 2025
- Served on the transition team for the Trump 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:
Former Texas Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins joins high court
Endorsements:
- Gov. Greg Abbott
- Texas Civil Justice League, a group focused on electing judges who support restricting lawsuits against businesses
Hawkins has no Republican opponents.
Gordon Goodman
Democrat
💰 Campaign finance:
- $1,004 cash on hand
💰 Major donors this cycle:
- Goodman loaned his campaign $6,096
Experience:
Justice on Texas’ 1st Court of Appeals in Houston from 2019 to 2024
Political ideology:
Goodman is running as a Democrat.
In the news:
Endorsements:
University Democrats
Kristen Hawkins
Democrat
💰 Campaign finance:
- $309,660 cash on hand
💰 Major donors this cycle:
- Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin, partners at Houston-based Arnold & Itkin, a law firm that is working to elect candidates who oppose tort reform measures
- Mike Lowenberg, Houston attorney
- Kherker Garcia, a Houston personal injury law firm
- Sean Roberts and the Roberts Markland personal injury law firm
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:
- History is Made as Texas’ Oldest Court Gets First Woman Judge
- All of the Astroworld lawsuits will be handled by one Houston judge, a judicial board ruled
Endorsements:
- Bexar County Young Democrats
- Liberal Austin Democrats
- The Caucus, a Houston LGBTQ political group
Place 8
Brett Busby
Republican
💰 Campaign finance:
- $890,743 cash on hand
💰 Major donors this cycle:
- Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, the state’s leading advocacy group for limiting businesses’ legal liability
- Vinson & Elkins Texas PAC, associated with the major Houston law firm
- Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP Texas Committee, associated with the global law firm
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 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:
- Gov. Greg Abbott appoints Brett Busby to Texas Supreme Court
- Texas Senate confirms Brett Busby for Supreme Court post
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
Busby has no Republican opponents.
Gisela Triana
Democrat
💰 Campaign finance:
- $123,622 cash on hand
💰 Major donors this cycle:
- Triana has not raised any money this cycle but carried over funds in her campaign account from a previous run.
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-19.
In the news:
- Texas Democratic women trounce male opponents in judicial primary election
- Editorial: Our Supreme Court picks in the Democratic primary
Endorsements:
- Liberal Austin Democrats
- University Democrats
Triana has no Democratic opponents.
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