Democrats have swept all ten statewide judicial races, taking four seats on the Texas Supreme Court, three on the Court of Criminal Appeals, and all three on the Fifteenth Court of Appeals.
The sweep was indicative of a larger blue wave, reflecting the percentages of other statewide office races.
Texas Supreme Court
Four of Texas’ nine Supreme Court seats were up for re-election in 2026. Justices serve six-year staggered terms, though one unexpired term was also due for an election.
For the position of chief justice, incumbent Jimmie Blacklock (R) was defeated by challenger Maggie Ellis (D).
Blacklock had been re-elected to Place 2 in 2024 before Gov. Greg Abbott appointed him chief justice in January 2025. Abbott then appointed James P. Sullivan (R) to fill the Place 2 vacancy until the 2026 general election. Sullivan had been serving as Abbott’s general counsel.
For Place 2, Sullivan was defeated by challenger Charli Kelly (D). Because this was an unexpired term, the seat will be up for re-election in just four years. The seat will return to its regular election cycle in 2030.
For Place 7, incumbent Kyle Hawkins (R) was defeated by challenger Kristen Hawkins (D), who is of no relation.
For Place 8, incumbent Brett Busby (R) was defeated by challenger Gisela D. Triana (D).
Court of Criminal Appeals
Three of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals’ nine seats were up for election on Tuesday. This is the highest court for criminal cases in Texas, effectively serving as the criminal division of the Texas Supreme Court.
For Place 3, Thomas Smith (R) was defeated by Okey Anyiam (D).
For Place 4, incumbent Kevin Patrick Yeary (R) was defeated by challenger Audra Riley (D).
For Place 9, John Messinger (R) was defeated by Holly Taylor (D).
Fifteenth Court of Appeals
The Texas Legislature established Texas’ Fifteenth Court of Appeals in 2023, and it began operating in September 2024. Unlike the First through Fourteenth regional Courts of Appeals, the Fifteenth Court is a statewide court, set up to hear civil appeals involving state government and appeals from the Texas Business Court.
The Fifteenth Court currently has three seats, including a chief justice and two justices, but is set to expand to five seats in September 2027. Justices are elected statewide to six-year terms, of which today’s election was the first. Their terms are not staggered.
When the Court began operations in 2024, Abbott appointed Chief Justice Scott Brister and Justices Scott Field and April Farris to serve for two years, before the first statewide election would take place in 2026. All three Republican justices sought re-election.
For the position of chief justice, Brister was defeated by challenger Jerry Zimmerer (D).
For Place 2, Field was defeated by challenger Tom Baker (D).
For Place 3, Farris was defeated by challenger Marc M. Meyer (D).
