2026 Judicial Candidates
Meet the Republican Candidates
seeking judicial office in Harris County
Courts of Appeals
Jessica Caird
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Pl. 5
- Named "Appellate Judge of the Year" for 2026
- Highest rated of all 100-plus judges in Houston Bar Association's latest evaluation
- Board-certified in Civil Appellate Law for more than 30 years
Civil District Courts
Nile Copeland
Judge, 55th Civil District Court
- Named "Appellate Judge of the Year" for 2026
- Highest rated of all 100-plus judges in Houston Bar Association's latest evaluation
- Board-certified in Civil Appellate Law for more than 30 years
Vance Christopher
Judge, 189th Civil District Court
- Named "Appellate Judge of the Year" for 2026
- Highest rated of all 100-plus judges in Houston Bar Association's latest evaluation
- Board-certified in Civil Appellate Law for more than 30 years
Celena Guerra Pawlak
Judge, 269th Civil District Court
- Named "Appellate Judge of the Year" for 2026
- Highest rated of all 100-plus judges in Houston Bar Association's latest evaluation
- Board-certified in Civil Appellate Law for more than 30 years
Greg Travis
Judge, 295th Civil District Court
- Successfully tried cases to juries to verdict
- Fair and impartial
- Respectful of all litigants and attorneys
Aaron Adams
Judge, 190th Civil District Court
- Named "Appellate Judge of the Year" for 2026
- Highest rated of all 100-plus judges in Houston Bar Association's latest evaluation
- Board-certified in Civil Appellate Law for more than 30 years
Gerald Fowler
Judge, 157th Civil District Court
- Named "Appellate Judge of the Year" for 2026
- Highest rated of all 100-plus judges in Houston Bar Association's latest evaluation
- Board-certified in Civil Appellate Law for more than 30 years
David "Dave" Harvey
Judge, 234th Civil District Court
- Named "Appellate Judge of the Year" for 2026
- Highest rated of all 100-plus judges in Houston Bar Association's latest evaluation
- Board-certified in Civil Appellate Law for more than 30 years
Chris Carmona
Judge, 281st Civil District Court
- Successfully tried cases to juries to verdict
- Fair and impartial
- Respectful of all litigants and attorneys
Juvenile District Courts
Amy Strickling
Judge, 313th Juvenile District Court
- Board Certified in Child Welfare Law
- Represented children, parents, and the Department for 17 years
- Works with stakeholders and community members to protect children and build stronger families
Maria Valeria Brock
Judge, 315th Juvenile District Court
- Successfully tried cases to juries to verdict
- Fair and impartial
- Respectful of all litigants and attorneys
Criminal District Courts
Tony Coveny
Judge, 209th Criminal District Court
- Successfully tried cases to juries to verdict
- Fair and impartial
- Respectful of all litigants and attorneys
Jason A. Campo
Judge, 263rd Criminal District Court
- Prosecutor for 11 years
- Tried multiple capital murder trials
- Chief prosecutor focused on domestic violence
Mark Goldberg
Judge, 185th Criminal District Court
- Former Houston City Councilmember
- Former Harris County Assistant District Attorney
- Contractor with the U.S. State Department
Caroline Dozier
Judge, 228th Criminal District Court
- Prosecutor for Harris County for 31 years
- Gang Prosecutor of the Year, 2019
- Married 28 years to City Council Member Julian Ramirez; proud mother of an Eagle Scout and SPCA/local rescue volunteer and foster
Lance Long
Judge, 183rd Criminal District Court
- Appointed by Governor Abbott
- Exclusively practiced criminal law since 1991
- Personally tried at least 175 jury trials
Stephen Driver
Judge, 208th Criminal District Court
- Assistant District Attorney for 18 years
- Division Chief over Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation, Financial and Cyber Crimes, and Grand Jury
- First-chair trials including Capital Murder, Sexual Assault, and Child Pornography offenses
Megan Long
Judge, 230th Criminal District Court
- Harris County District Attorneys Office Prosecutor almost 12 years
- Homicide Bureau Prosecutor 3+ years
- Felony Prosecutor 10+ years
Vanessa Velasquez
Judge, 486th Criminal District Court
- 20½ years as Harris County Criminal District Court Judge
- 15 years as Harris County Assistant District Attorney
- 17 years as Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Law Center
Peyton Peebles
Judge, 497th Criminal District Court
- Conservative judge committed to the Constitution, rule of law, and equal justice
- Ensures violent offenders are held accountable while safeguarding constitutional rights
- 25+ years of criminal law experience from Harris County trial courts to the U.S. Supreme Court
Family District Courts
Joe Radler
Judge, 311th Family District Court
- 15+ years devoted to family law
- Rulings based on the law, not favoritism
- Efficient court management to support attorneys
Rose Cardenas
Judge, 280th Family District Court
- Successfully tried cases to juries to verdict
- Fair and impartial
- Respectful of all litigants and attorneys
Jesus Guillen
Judge, 312th Family District Court
- 10 years of legal experience, including 7 years as an Assistant County Attorney
- Extensive courtroom experience in complex family law and child welfare cases
- Committed to fairness, integrity, impartiality, and treating every family with dignity and respect
Melissa Fertel
Judge, 309th Family District Court
- Successfully tried cases to juries to verdict
- Fair and impartial
- Respectful of all litigants and attorneys
County Civil Courts at Law
Jamie King
Judge, County Civil Court at Law #1
- Successfully tried cases to juries to verdict
- Fair and impartial
- Respectful of all litigants and attorneys
John Donovan
Judge, County Civil Court at Law #4
- Former District Court Judge
- Former Appellate Court Justice
- Past President, Board of Directors for the Dispute Resolution Center, Harris County
Richard Lanier Fason
Judge, County Civil Court at Law #5
- 29 years of experience as a civil trial lawyer
- First jury trial resulted in an article in the Texas edition of The Wall Street Journal
- Recent two-week jury trial resulted in full damages awarded to the plaintiff, including prompt-pay interest
Israel Garcia
Judge, County Civil Court at Law #3
- Licensed by the State Bar of Texas for 33 years
- 4 years of prior judicial experience
- Will follow the law
County Criminal Courts at Law
Rebecca Philips Aceto
Judge, County Criminal Court at Law #4
- 25+ years of criminal law experience
- Former Assistant District Attorney
- Criminal defense attorney in Harris County
Bao Hoang
Judge, County Criminal Court at Law #10
- 14+ years as a prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office
- Chief of the Consumer Fraud Section
- Trial experience ranging from Class C violations to capital murder
Elizabeth Buss
Judge, County Criminal Court at Law #11
- Nearly 14 years as a Harris County Assistant District Attorney
- Experience from misdemeanors to high-level felonies, with key prosecutorial leadership roles
- Committed to balancing public safety with fair, individualized evaluation of each case
Jessica N. Padilla
Judge, County Criminal Court at Law #14
- 25 years of criminal law experience as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and judge
- Extensive training in addiction and mental health treatment and specialty courts
- 6th-generation Texan, married 24 years, with two children and a pug
Leslie R. Johnson
Judge, County Criminal Court at Law #3
- Incumbent Judge
- 28+ years of legal experience
- Tried numerous cases as both lawyer and judge
Joshua Normand
Judge, County Criminal Court at Law #6
- Experience as an Assistant District Attorney and in private practice
- Practicing attorney for over 14 years
- Harris County resident for over 35 years with a deep understanding of the impact of judicial decisions
Xavier Alfaro
Judge, County Criminal Court at Law #9
- Former prosecutor with the Harris and Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Offices
- Criminal defense attorney who has helped thousands of clients protect their constitutional rights
- Handled 50+ trials ranging from Class B DWI to Capital Murder
Stephen C. St. Martin
Judge, County Criminal Court at Law #15
- 25 years of criminal law experience as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and judge
- Extensive training in addiction and mental health treatment and specialty courts
- 6th-generation Texan, married 24 years, with two children and a pug
Judge, County Probate Court
Justice of the Peace
