As Texas voters head into another primary season, several seats on the Texas Supreme Court are on the ballot, including the chief justice position. To help readers better understand the candidates and the stakes, High Plains Pundit is sharing background information on the leading contenders in each race. In especially crowded contests, coverage focuses on candidates with political or judicial experience or those running demonstrably competitive campaigns, using benchmarks such as fundraising, endorsements, and public visibility.
The Role of the Texas Supreme Court
The Texas Supreme Court is the state’s highest civil court and the final authority on matters of state law. Its nine justices interpret the Texas Constitution, review decisions from lower courts, and decide which cases warrant statewide review. Their rulings are final unless overturned by constitutional amendment or federal courts.
Justices serve six-year terms and are elected in partisan statewide races. However, vacancies are common, and governors frequently appoint replacements to serve until the next election. Governor Greg Abbott, himself a former justice on the court, has appointed seven of the nine current members. The court has been entirely Republican since the 1990s, when Democrats last won seats statewide.
The court’s influence has been especially visible in recent years. It has ruled on the legality of Texas’ abortion restrictions and bans on gender-affirming care for minors, addressed election procedures and eviction protections during the COVID-19 pandemic, and intervened in high-profile criminal justice matters. Several consequential cases remain pending, including disputes over legislative authority, redistricting protests, and separation-of-powers questions. Four of the nine seats are on the ballot this year, giving voters a rare opportunity to shape the court’s future direction.
Place 1: Chief Justice
The Place 1 race includes the position of chief justice, who presides over the court and plays a key administrative role in the Texas judicial system.
The Republican incumbent, Jimmy Blacklock, currently serves as chief justice after being elevated to the role in January 2025. Blacklock was first appointed to the court in 2018 after serving for years as Governor Abbott’s general counsel and as a senior attorney in the Texas Attorney General’s Office. His background also includes federal appellate clerkships and a law degree from Yale.
Blacklock’s judicial philosophy aligns with the conservative legal movement, emphasizing originalism and close adherence to constitutional text. Before joining the bench, he was involved in major legal challenges on behalf of the state, including litigation over federal health care law and the defense of Texas abortion statutes. His campaign is well funded, supported largely by business-oriented political action committees and major law firms, and he has received endorsements from Abbott, anti-abortion organizations, and groups advocating limits on civil liability for businesses. He faces no Republican primary opposition.
The Democratic primary for Place 1 features two candidates. Cory Carlyle brings appellate experience from the Fifth Court of Appeals, where he served from 2019 to 2025. His legal career includes time as a prosecutor, assistant attorney general, and private-sector attorney. Carlyle emphasizes adherence to precedent and statutory interpretation. His campaign has limited financial resources and a small donor base, though he has received backing from local Democratic organizations.
Maggie Ellis, the other Democratic candidate, currently serves on the Third Court of Appeals and has a varied background that includes work as a family and juvenile law attorney, administrative law judge, prosecutor, public school teacher, and foster parent. Ellis has framed her candidacy around expanding access to justice and reducing political influence over courts. Her campaign has raised more money than Carlyle’s and has drawn support from labor groups, LGBTQ+ organizations, and Democratic clubs across Central Texas.
Place 2
In Place 2, Republican James Sullivan is running as the incumbent after his appointment to the court in January 2025. Like Blacklock, Sullivan previously served as general counsel to Governor Abbott and as an assistant solicitor general. He holds a Harvard Law degree and has federal appellate clerkship experience.
Sullivan’s campaign emphasizes conservative judicial principles and a strong law-and-order approach. He has attracted significant financial backing from business-aligned PACs and energy interests, along with endorsements from Abbott and conservative advocacy groups. He does not face a Republican primary challenger.
On the Democratic side, Chari Kelly is the sole candidate. Kelly has served on the Third Court of Appeals since 2019 and brings a background that includes prosecution, work in the attorney general’s office, and service in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Her campaign highlights constitutional defense and public service, and she has secured endorsements from labor groups and Democratic organizations. With no Democratic opposition, Kelly advances directly to the general election.
Place 7
Place 7 is the most crowded Democratic primary contest on the ballot. The Republican incumbent, Kyle Hawkins, was appointed to the court in October 2025. Hawkins previously served as Texas solicitor general and has argued high-profile constitutional cases at both the state and federal levels. His résumé includes work in elite appellate law firms and clerkships on the U.S. Supreme Court and Fifth Circuit.
Hawkins’ record reflects consistent conservative legal positions, including challenges to federal health care law and litigation involving voting rights. His campaign is well financed and supported by business-focused donors and endorsements from Abbott and civil justice reform groups. He faces no Republican primary opponent.
The Democratic field includes three candidates with judicial experience. Gordon Goodman previously served on the First Court of Appeals in Houston and is running a low-budget campaign largely financed through personal loans. Kristen Hawkins, a Houston district judge since 2017, has overseen complex civil litigation and managed court operations during the pandemic. She emphasizes the perspective of trial courts and the importance of preserving jury verdicts. Her campaign has raised substantial funds, primarily from plaintiffs’ attorneys and firms opposing tort reform.
The third Democratic candidate, Kristen Hawkins’ namesake but unrelated, has emerged as the best-funded and most visible contender in the race. Her endorsements include Democratic organizations and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, reflecting her appeal to multiple constituencies within the party.
Place 8
In Place 8, Republican Brett Busby is running for another term after his appointment to the court in 2019. Busby previously served on the Fourteenth Court of Appeals and worked as an appellate attorney. His background includes clerkships at both the federal appellate level and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Busby has longstanding ties to conservative legal organizations, though he has also focused on issues such as access to legal services and civic education while on the bench. His campaign is one of the best funded in the field and benefits from endorsements by Abbott, anti-abortion groups, and business-oriented PACs. He faces no Republican primary challenge.
Democrat Gisela Triana is the sole Democratic candidate. Triana has extensive judicial experience, including service as a district judge, justice of the peace, and appellate justice. She has previously criticized the court’s handling of pandemic-era eviction and debt collection cases and has argued that greater ideological balance is needed. Triana enters the race with carryover funds from a prior campaign and support from Democratic organizations, advancing uncontested to the general election.
Looking Ahead
With all Republican incumbents running unopposed in their primaries, the most competitive contests this cycle are within the Democratic Party, particularly in the Place 1 and Place 7 races. While the court’s partisan balance is unlikely to change absent a significant statewide shift, these elections will determine which candidates move forward to November and help define the issues emphasized in the general election. Given the Texas Supreme Court’s outsized role in shaping state law, the outcomes will have lasting implications well beyond this election cycle.
