Seats on the Texas Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals and 15th Court of Appeals are up for election in the 2026 midterm. Ten seats total are contested across the three courts, with judges appointed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott holding seven of them.
Where
Statewide
When
Election in 2026 midterm
Sources
Reported by 2 outlets
Taxes and money
None stated in sources.
Coming up
Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Election for seats on Texas Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals and 15th Court of Appeals (Statewide)1
Who's involved
James 'Jimmy' BlacklockTexas Supreme Court justice incumbent, appointed 2018, named chief justice in 2025
James SullivanTexas Supreme Court justice incumbent, appointed 2025
Kyle HawkinsTexas Supreme Court justice incumbent, appointed 2025
Sarah EllisCandidate for Texas Supreme Court, serves on Third Court of Appeals
Gisele KellyCandidate for Texas Supreme Court, serves on Third Court of Appeals since 2019
Kristen HawkinsCandidate for Texas Supreme Court, Harris County district court judge since 2016
David BusbyCandidate for Texas Supreme Court, appointed 2019, elected statewide 2020
TrianaCandidate for Texas Supreme Court, serves on Third Court of Appeals
The facts
Texas Supreme Court has nine justices serving staggered six-year terms with no term limits.1
All members of the three courts are elected statewide in partisan races.1
Judges appointed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott hold seven of ten seats up for election.1
The Texas Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort in civil matters.1
Ellis is the first openly LGBTQ+ woman elected to a Texas appellate court.1
Kelly is a U.S. Army veteran and former Judge Advocate General officer.1
Hawkins previously served as Texas solicitor general and argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.1
Busby is a former U.S. Supreme Court law clerk who taught at UT School of Law.1
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Blacklock His judicial philosophy is grounded in interpreting statutes and the state constitution according to their text and original meaning.1
Democrats Looking to regain ground in the courts, which have been Republican strongholds for decades.1
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
Gov. Greg Abbott held a campaign rally in El Paso on Thursday and issued a state disaster declaration for El Paso County after flash flooding damaged or washed away more than 50 homes.
Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic challenger
Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa is running to unseat Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in Tuesday's election. If she wins, she would likely face a Republican-controlled Legislature, unlike Abbott's unified government. The last divided state government in Texas occurred in 1995. Hinojosa has stated plans for executive actions on day one, including suspending gas and diesel taxes and freezing electricity rates.
Gina Hinojosa, Democratic state Rep., gubernatorial candidate; Greg Abbott, Republican governor, seeking reelection; Vikki Goodwin, Democratic state Rep., candidate for lieutenant governor and 3 more
As Texas voters prepare for a November 3 midterm election, polls show Democratic state representative James Talarico narrowly ahead of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race, while Democratic state representative Gina Hinojosa trails Republican Governor Greg Abbott in the governor's race. Republicans have spent more than $300 million on ads for Paxton compared to $102 million spent for Talarico.
$over $300 million for ad spending for Paxton
James Talarico, Democratic state representative and candidate for U.S. Senate; Ken Paxton, Republican Attorney General and candidate for U.S. Senate; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic state representative and candidate for governor and 4 more
Elon Musk has contributed more than $445 million to federal committees through mid-October 2026, making him the largest disclosed individual donor in modern American politics. His spending has heavily targeted Texas races, including the Senate contest between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton.
$more than $445 million for campaign contributions to federal committees
Elon Musk, Political donor; James Talarico, Democratic candidate for Texas Senate; Ken Paxton, Republican candidate for Texas Senate and 3 more
East Texas counties and Nueces County are seeing high early voting turnout ahead of the Nov. 3, 2026 midterm election. Several counties have already matched or exceeded their 2022 midterm early voting totals with days remaining.
Smith County voters, Early voters in 2026; Gregg County voters, Early voters in 2026; Nueces County voters, Early voters in 2026
Voters in League City will decide on Tuesday whether the police department should continue using 55 Flock surveillance cameras. The nonbinding Proposition A asks about keeping cameras that collect vehicle data including license plates, make, model, and color. The City Council pledged to remove the cameras within 72 hours if voters reject them.
League City Mayor Nick Long, Mayor who introduced the resolution to place question before voters; League City City Council, Approved resolutions on Flock cameras; League City Police Department, Uses the Flock cameras
James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for Texas Attorney General, repeatedly claimed he had 45 students crammed into a single classroom. The New York Times reported that Texas Education Agency records show his largest documented class had 30 students, with most classes between 22 and 27 students. His campaign did not dispute the state records but said 45 students were initially placed in the classroom before administrators redistributed them.
James Talarico, Democratic candidate for Texas Attorney General; The New York Times, news organization that reported TEA records; Texas Education Agency, issued records on classroom sizes
Dallas County voters set records in early voting for the 2026 midterm election after county officials expanded voting centers and hours. As of Tuesday, 416,023 early votes had been cast, representing 27% of registered voters.
Dallas County Commissioners Court, approved expansion of early voting centers; Dallas County Democratic Party, credited local officials for expanded voter access