Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Texas
6-year termJimmy Blacklock became chief justice in January 2025 after Chief Justice Nathan Hecht reached the mandatory retirement age; he is running for election to the seat. No third-party or write-in candidates appear on the SOS statewide sample ballot or Harris County sample ballot for this seat.Partially researched. Last researched Oct 20, 2026Report a correction
Texas judicial ethics rules limit what judicial candidates may say about issues that could come before them, so this page compares qualifications instead of positions.
RepublicanIncumbent
Democratic
Current position
Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Texas
Justice, Third Court of Appeals
Years licensed
Not stated in available records.
Not stated in available records.
Board certification
Not stated in available records.
Juvenile Law (Texas Board of Legal Specialization); Child Welfare Law (National Association of Counsel for Children)
Law school
Yale Law School
Baylor Law School
Prior judicial service
Justice, Supreme Court of Texas (2018-2025)
Justice, Third Court of Appeals (2025-present); Administrative law judge, State Office of Administrative Hearings
Practice areas
Government/appellate litigation (Texas Attorney General's Office); Private practice in Houston and Austin
Juvenile law; Family law; Criminal prosecution
Bar association poll
State Bar of Texas 2026 Judicial Poll (conducted before March 2026 primaries; vote counts among all candidates then running): 1,678 of 3,831 votes (43.8%), most votes in a three-candidate field
State Bar of Texas 2026 Judicial Poll (conducted before March 2026 primaries; vote counts among all candidates then running): 1,259 of 3,831 votes (32.9%)
Qualification 1 of 7
Current position
RepublicanIncumbent
Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Texas
Democratic
Justice, Third Court of Appeals
Sources for this contest (4)
- 2026 General Election Sample Ballot (statewide template), Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
- General and Special Elections sample ballot, November 3, 2026, Harris County Clerk / HarrisVotes. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
- Texas Supreme Court, Ballotpedia. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
- Texas Supreme Court 2026 election: Who is running and what to know, The Texas Tribune (via KSAT). Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.