The race for Randall County Court at Law No. 1 has emerged as one of the most closely watched local judicial contests in Randall County. The position carries significant responsibility, overseeing misdemeanor criminal matters, family law disputes, juvenile proceedings, probate issues, and civil cases involving disputes up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Current Judge James Anderson is retiring after decades on the bench, creating an open-seat contest that has drawn experienced attorneys from across the Amarillo legal community.
Following the March 2026 Republican primary, attorneys Paul Herrmann and Claire Hamker Grammer advanced to a runoff election scheduled for May 26, 2026. Grammer led the first round of voting with roughly 43 percent, while Herrmann received approximately 29 percent.
Both candidates present extensive courtroom backgrounds, but they emphasize different experiences, philosophies, and professional identities in their campaigns.
Paul Herrmann: Veteran Trial Lawyer Focused on Public Safety
Paul Herrmann has centered his campaign on decades of courtroom experience and a reputation built through criminal prosecution and defense work across the Texas Panhandle.
Born in Borger and raised in Hutchinson County, Herrmann frequently describes his upbringing in oilfield camps and agricultural work as foundational to his values and work ethic. Before becoming an attorney, he worked in the oilfield as a roustabout, spent summers working cattle and tractors, and later worked at Iowa Beef Packers, now Tyson Foods. His campaign materials emphasize those early experiences as evidence of his connection to working families in the Panhandle.
Herrmann graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1981 with a degree in petroleum land management before working as a landman for Exxon. He later earned his law degree from South Texas College of Law and began practicing law in the late 1980s.
His legal resume is among the longest in the race. Herrmann has practiced law for 38 years and has experience on both sides of the courtroom. Early in his legal career, he worked as Chief Felony Prosecutor for Potter County, where he prosecuted capital murder, aggravated assault, robbery, rape, and major drug trafficking cases. He also served as Armstrong County Attorney.
After leaving the district attorney’s office, Herrmann entered private practice, focusing on criminal law, family law, and civil litigation. He became board certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in 1999 and has maintained that certification through multiple recertification periods. Herrmann highlights that credential heavily in campaign messaging, arguing it distinguishes him as the only candidate in the race recognized as a specialist in criminal law.
Herrmann also emphasizes the sheer volume of his trial experience. His campaign states that he has first-chaired hundreds of jury trials in municipal, county, district, and federal courts. He has argued appeals in both state and federal courts and is licensed in Texas state courts, federal district courts, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
A central theme of Herrmann’s campaign is public safety. His campaign website repeatedly emphasizes protecting families, holding dangerous offenders accountable, and ensuring strong sentencing when appropriate. Campaign messaging describes his courtroom philosophy as “balanced but firm,” with an emphasis on consequences matching the seriousness of offenses.
Herrmann argues that his defense experience strengthens his qualifications rather than weakening them. He says working defense cases helped him understand how criminal cases fail, how procedural loopholes are exploited, and how judges can maintain fairness while protecting communities.
In responses to local voter guides, Herrmann identified fairness, efficiency, and public safety as his top priorities if elected. He specifically pointed to speedy trial rights and timely case resolution as issues he believes deserve more attention in local courts.
Beyond the courtroom, Herrmann points to community involvement through the “Paul and Mike’s Excellent Mile,” a long-running Amarillo charity event that has raised money for local nonprofits for more than three decades.
Herrmann’s supporters often frame his candidacy around experience and institutional knowledge. His campaign stresses that he has spent decades advising younger attorneys and consulting with sitting judges on legal issues. He argues that the community would benefit from placing that experience directly on the bench.
At the same time, critics and observers note that Herrmann’s campaign messaging is heavily centered on criminal law and public safety, while the court also handles large volumes of family and civil matters. Supporters counter that his experience includes substantial civil and family litigation work in addition to criminal practice.
The race ultimately presents Herrmann as a veteran courtroom litigator seeking to bring decades of legal experience and a law-and-order perspective to the Randall County bench.
Claire Hamker Grammer: Family Law and Juvenile Specialist Emphasizing Fairness and Service
Claire Hamker Grammer has built her campaign around family law experience, child protection work, and what she describes as a commitment to integrity, fairness, and compassionate service.
A lifelong Randall County resident, Grammer says her decision to run came after years of discussion with family and reflection about serving the community in a broader role. Her campaign messaging repeatedly emphasizes that court decisions affect real families, children, and futures — not simply case files or legal disputes.
Grammer has practiced law for more than 20 years and brings experience in criminal prosecution, criminal defense, family litigation, juvenile law, Child Protective Services cases, and protective orders involving domestic violence.
Her legal career includes work in both Randall and Potter counties, as well as experience in Oklahoma. Early in her career, Grammer worked in the White Collar Prosecution Division of the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office, where she handled financial crime cases, investigations, restitution matters, and prosecution support.
She later returned to the Texas Panhandle and served in both the Potter County District Attorney's Office and the Randall County District Attorney's Office.
Much of Grammer’s public profile centers on her work involving children and families. During her time in Randall County’s Special Prosecution Unit, she represented the state and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in cases involving abused and neglected children. Her responsibilities included handling removals, placement decisions, mediations, contested termination proceedings, and legal coordination with caseworkers and administrators.
In private practice, Grammer has represented clients in divorces, custody disputes, child support matters, CPS litigation, juvenile proceedings, misdemeanor cases, and felony defense matters. Her campaign describes this background as especially relevant because County Court at Law No. 1 handles many family and juvenile cases directly affecting local households.
Grammer’s campaign tone differs noticeably from Herrmann’s more prosecution-focused messaging. Rather than emphasizing punishment or dangerous offenders, her materials focus on integrity, impartiality, respect, accessibility, and efficiency in the courtroom. She frequently frames the judicial role as one requiring compassion alongside adherence to the law.
Supporters describe her as a steady courtroom presence with extensive experience handling emotionally difficult family matters. Retired Randall County Sheriff Joel Richardson endorsed Grammer, citing her broad litigation background and what he described as fairness, honesty, and respect.
Grammer also highlights the practical management side of judicial work. Her experience includes docket management, plea negotiations, discovery disputes, motion hearings, victim relations, and probation matters — all areas central to keeping county courts functioning efficiently.
One of the defining aspects of Grammer’s candidacy is the breadth of her legal experience across both criminal and family law systems. While she has prosecuted felony and misdemeanor offenses, much of her recent work has involved representing families, juveniles, and parents in complex civil proceedings.
Observers note that her strong performance in the March primary reflected broad support across multiple precincts in Randall County.
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