The Texas criminal justice system could look different with a slew of judicial seats up for election in November.
The 2026 midterm election presents a unique opportunity for Republican candidates fighting for El Paso judicial seats as they try to keep the bench they were appointed to or claim a rare open seat.
This will be the first time in nearly two decades that El Pasoans will see two local district court races decided in a general election. The 120th District Court race has a Republican incumbent, while the 168th District Court seat is vacant.
Most El Paso judicial races are decided in the Democratic Primary, as few Republicans challenge for those seats. Republicans have always faced a tough challenge in getting elected, as El Pasoans have historically
voted Democrat.
In statewide elections, this will be the first time Texans will decide who will serve on the Fifteenth Court of Appeals. The appeals court was created in 2023 by the Texas Legislature and is composed of a chief justice and two justices. The current justices, all Republicans, were appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott and are seeking to hold onto their seats.
Here is a look at El Paso and statewide judicial races.
Texas district court judicial races in El Paso
There are two state judicial seats up for election in El Paso. The races are for the 120th and 168th district court seats.
The seats handle civil and criminal court proceedings. District court judges serve a four-year term and receive a base salary of $193,000. The starting salary scales up to $238,500 depending on the judge's years of service on the bench.
Republican looks to hold onto Texas' 120th District Court seat
Ben Ivey, a Republican, is currently presiding over the 120th District Court after being appointed by Abbott to replace Maria Salas-Mendoza, who was elected chief justice of the Texas Eighth District Court of Appeals in 2025.
Democrat Chris Anchondo is challenging Ivey for the seat.
The El Paso Times sent both candidates questionnaires to introduce themselves and their platforms. Ivey was the only one to respond.
Ivey, who grew up in Tornillo, has been an attorney for more than 25 years, working as an assistant district attorney for the El Paso District Attorney's Office and for more than 20 years in private practice as a trial lawyer, primarily in criminal defense, and is currently finishing his first year as the 120th District Court judge.
"I have seen the justice system from several sides ― as a prosecutor, defense lawyer, private practitioner and now judge," Ivey said in his questionnaire. "That experience shapes how I run the court: efficiently, decisively and with respect for everyone who comes through the door."
Ivey ran unopposed in the March Republican primary. He is a Cathedral High School grad and received his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.
Anchondo defeated Leonard "Lenny" Morales in the Democratic primary.
He was a lawyer for more than 18 years, handling criminal, family, civil and probate court cases.
"I am running for Judge of the 120th District Court because I have the integrity and experience to treat everyone who comes before me with fairness," Anchondo states on his campaign Facebook page.
Anchondo graduated from University of Texas at El Paso and received his law degree from Penn State Dickinson Law.
Cruz, Pritchard compete for vacant 168th District Court seat
Bernardo Cruz, a Democrat, is facing R. Wayne Pritchard, a Republican, in the race for the 168th District Court judicial seat to replace Judge Marcos Lizarraga.
Cruz defeated Enrique A. Holguin in a Democratic primary runoff election.
Cruz is an attorney at the El Paso County Attorney’s Office. He has been a lawyer in Washington since 2016 and in El Paso since 2018. He has handled state and federal civil rights cases.
"I will decide each case based on the facts presented, the applicable law, and the Constitution," Cruz said in a candidate questionnaire sent by the El Paso Times. "My responsibility as a judge will be to apply the law fairly and impartially, without being influenced by partisan interests, political pressure, public opinion, or fear of criticism."
Cruz is from El Paso and attended Cathedral High School. He graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso and received his law degree from Seattle University School of Law.
Pritchard has been a private practice attorney in El Paso for more than 37 years. He has argued cases before the U.S. Patent Office, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Pritchard did not respond to the El Paso Times' candidate questionnaire.
"A judge should give everyone a fair opportunity to present their case, and that is what Wayne will do if elected as your Judge," Pritchard states on his campaign website.
Pritchard graduated from Texas A&M University and earned his law degree from St. Mary's University School of Law.
Statewide Texas judicial election races
El Pasoans will also vote for several statewide judicial races that will play heavy roles in how criminal and civil cases are handled in Texas.
Here is key information on Texas judicial races.
Texas Supreme Court
Justices on the Texas Supreme Court receive a base salary of $210,000, while the chief justice receives $212,500. All justices of the Texas Supreme Court serve six-year terms.
The Texas Supreme Court is primarily responsible for interpreting state laws, resolving major civil disputes, overseeing the administration of the state's judicial system, and managing attorney licensing and discipline.
Prominent judges face off for Texas Supreme Court chief justice seat
Incumbent Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock, a Republican, is facing Maggie Ellis, a Democrat, for the presiding officer seat of the Texas Supreme Court.
The El Paso Times sent candidate questionnaires to both candidates. Neither candidate responded.
Blacklock:
- Experience: Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court since being appointed by Abbott in January 2025; Appointed as a Texas Supreme Court justice by Abbott in January 2018.
- Education: Yale Law School
Ellis:
Experience: Justice on Texas’ 3rd Court of Appeals since January 2025; private practice focused on juvenile and family law.
Education: Baylor Law School
Legal heavyweights vie for Supreme Court Place 2 seat
Incumbent James O. Sullivan, a Republican, is facing Democrat Chari Kelly for Texas Supreme Court Justice Place 2.
Sullivan:
- Experience: Appointed by Abbott to the Texas Supreme Court in January 2025; Served as Abbott’s general counsel and deputy general counsel.
- Education: Harvard Law School
Kelly:
- Experience: Texas’ Third Court of Appeals since 2019; Former felony prosecutor for the Travis and Comal County district attorney’s offices; U.S. Army veteran.
- Education: University of Texas School of Law
The El Paso Times was unable to contact the candidates for candidate questionnaires.
Texas Supreme Court incumbent facing challenger for place 7 seat
Incumbent Kyle Hawkins, a Republican, is facing challenger Kristen Hawkins, a Democrat, for the place seven seat on the Texas Supreme Court.
Hawkins was appointed by Abbott to fill a midterm vacancy in October 2025.
Kyle Hawkins:
- Experience: Hawkins was appointed as Texas Supreme Court justice by Abbott in October 2025; served on the transition team for the Trump administration’s Department of Justice as counselor to the U.S. solicitor general.
- Education: University of Minnesota Law School
Kristen Hawkins:
- Experience: Judge of the 11th District Court in Houston since 2017; private practice focused on Social Security disability claims.
- Education: South Texas College of Law
The El Paso Times was unable to contact the candidates for candidate questionnaires.
Judicial experience focus in Texas Supreme Court place 8 race
Incumbent Brett Busby, Republican, is facing Gisela D. Triana, Democrat, for place 8 on the Texas Supreme Court.
Busby:
- Experience: Appointed by Abbott to the Supreme Court in 2019 and re-elected in 2020; former justice on Texas’ 14th Court of Appeals.
- Education: Columbia Law School
Triana:
- Experience: Justice on Texas’ 3rd Court of Appeals since 2019; former judge for the 200th District Court.
- Education: University of Texas School of Law
The El Paso Times was unable to contact the candidates for candidate questionnaires.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals justices serve six-year terms and receive a base salary of $210,000 per year.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the state's highest criminal appeals court.
3 candidates battle for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3
Three candidates are vying for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3 to replace incumbent Bert Richardson, who did not seek reelection. The candidates are Democrat Okey Anyiam, Republican Thomas Smith and Libertarian Mark Ash.
Anyiam:
- Experience: Private practice criminal defense attorney.
- Education: No law school listed in campaign information or on the State Bar of Texas website.
Smith:
- Experience: Texas Attorney General’s Office assistant attorney general; former attorney for Ken Paxton.
- Education: Ohio State University College of Law
Ash:
- Experience: Criminal defense lawyer since 1992.
- Education: South Texas College of Law in Houston; University of Texas at El Paso
The El Paso Times was unable to contact the candidates for candidate questionnaires.
Yeary, Riley face off for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4
Incumbent Kevin Patrick Yeary, Republican, is facing challenger Audra Riley, Democrat, for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4.
Yeary:
- Experience: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals justice since 2014; former appellate prosecutor for Dallas, Harris and Bexar counties.
- Education: St. Mary's University School of Law
Riley:
- Experience: Criminal District Court No. 3 Judge in Dallas County since 2020; former prosecutor in the Dallas County district attorney’s office.
- Education: Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas State University
Neither candidate responded to the El Paso Times candidate questionnaire.
Texans voting to fill vacant Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9 seat
Democrat Holly Taylor and Republican John Messinger are vying for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9 after incumbent Republican Justice David Newell did not seek reelection.
Taylor:
- Experience: Criminal and civil appeals private practice attorney; former Travis County District Attorney’s Office director of the Division of Public Integrity and Complex Crimes.
- Education: University of Texas at Austin
Messinger:
- Experience: Assistant Texas prosecuting attorney; former prosecutor for the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office.
- Education: Baylor Law School
Neither candidate responded to the El Paso Times candidate questionnaire.
Fifteenth Court of Appeals
The Fifteenth Court of Appeals was created in 2023 by the Texas Legislature as a statewide intermediate appellate court in based in Austin. The court is composed of a chief justice and two justices.
All justices serve six-year terms. The base salary for a chief justice is about $210,000, with compensation up to $228,800 or higher, depending on the judge's years on the bench.
The justices currently serving were appointed by Abbott.
Experienced jurists vying for 15th Court of Appeals chief justice seat
Incumbent Republican Scott Brister is going against Democrat challenger Jerry Zimmer for chief justice of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals.
Brister:
- Experience: Texas Supreme Court justice from 2003 to 2009; former 1st and 14th Court of Appeals justice.
- Education: Harvard Law School
Zimmer:
- Experience: Texas 14th Court of Appeals justice from 2019 through 2024; private practice attorney based in Houston.
- Education: South Texas College of Law Houston
Zimmer's El Paso Times questionnaire is available at ElPasoTimes.com. Brister could not be reached.
Appeal judges face off in 15th Court of Appeals Place 2 race
Incumbent Scott K. Field, a Republican, is facing Tom Baker, a Democrat, for the 15th Court of Appeals Place 2 justice seat.
Field:
- Experience: Former 480th District Court judge and Texas Third Court of Appeals justice.
- Education: University of Texas School of Law
Baker:
- Experience: Former Texas Third Court of Appeals justice, U.S. Naval Reserve, Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
- Education: University of Houston Law Center
Neither candidate responded to the El Paso Times candidate questionnaire.
Professional background focus in 15th Court of Appeals Place 3 race
Republican incumbent April Farris is being challenged by Democrat Marc M. Meyer for the 15th Court of Appeals Place 3.
Farris:
- Experience: Former First Court of Appeals justice; appellate attorney.
- Education: Harvard Law School
Meyer:
- Experience: Private practice attorney, former Houston Fire Department captain and paramedic.
- Education: South Texas College of Law
Meyer's El Paso Times questionnaire can be found at ElPasoTimes.com.Farris could not be reached.
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com and @AMartinezEPT on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso judicial races could reshape Texas courts in 2026 election
