Running for a Judicial Office in 2026

Candidates for the following judicial offices must provide additional information with their application:

Chief justice or justice of the Supreme Court;
Presiding judge or judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals;
Chief justice or justice of a Court of Appeals;
District judge, including a criminal district judge; and
Judge of a statutory county court.

The requirements do not apply to a county judge under Article V, Section 15 of the Texas Constitution.

Note: SB 1045 (2023, R.S.) created the Fifteenth Court of Appeals effective September 1, 2024. Although the Fifteenth Court of Appeals district will ultimately consist of a chief justice and four justices, the bill specifically states that the court consists of a chief justice and two justices for the first three years following the court’s creation. Therefore, only chief justice and justice places 2 and 3 will appear on the 2026 ballot. In 2027, the initial vacancies for justice places 4 and 5 will be filled by appointment, and those offices will not appear on the ballot until the next general election cycle in 2028.

Candidate Application and Filing Period

Republican Party or Democratic Party Primary Election: The application and accompanying documents must be filed between November 8, 2025 and 6:00 p.m. on December 8, 2025. [Sec. 172.023] The application shall be filed with the state party chair (state and district offices) or the county party chair (county and precinct offices). [Sec. 172.022] See Filing in the Republican or Democratic 2026 Primary for more information.

All candidates must complete the Primary Party Judicial Candidate Application (PDF).
Additional Petition Requirements:

Candidates running for Courts of Appeals in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 14th, and 15th Districts and all candidates running for judicial offices in Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant counties must file additional petitions (PDF).
Candidates for the office of chief justice or justice of the Supreme Court, or presiding judge or judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals must also file additional petitions using the Petition for a Judicial Office with the Texas Supreme Court or Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in a Primary Election (PDF). Candidates who choose to pay the filing fee must also accompany the application and fee with a petition. The minimum number of signatures that must appear on the petition is 50 from each of the fifteen court of appeals districts, for a total requirement of 750 signatures.

Libertarian Party or Green Party Convention Process: The candidate application and accompanying documents must be filed with the applicable county or state party chair between November 8, 2025 and 6:00 p.m. on December 8, 2025. [Secs. 181.032, 181.033] A candidate must submit a filing fee or petition in lieu of filing fee to the Secretary of State or County Judge, whichever is applicable. [Sec. 181.0311). See Filing in the Libertarian Party or Green Party 2026 Convention Process for more information.

All candidates must complete the Judicial Candidate Application for Nomination by Convention (PDF).

Independent Candidate: To file as an independent candidate, candidates must follow a two-part process:

File a Declaration of Intent to Run as an Independent Candidate (PDF) between November 8, 2025 and 6:00 p.m. on December 8, 2025 with the county judge (county or precinct offices) or the Secretary of State (district and state offices). [Secs. 142.002(b)(2), 142.005]
After the primary (or primary runoff, if applicable), file an Independent Judicial Candidate Application (PDF) and accompanying documents along with a supporting nominating petition. The application, along with petition, must be filed by 5:00 p.m. on June 25, 2026, with the county judge (county or precinct offices) or the Secretary of State (district and state offices). [Secs. 142.005, 142.006, 142.009] See Running as an Independent Candidate in 2026 for more information.

Declared Write-in Candidate: The application must be filed between July 18, 2026 and 5:00 p.m. on August 17, 2026. [Sec. 146.025] The application is filed with the county judge (county or precinct offices) or the Secretary of State (district and state offices). [Sec. 146.024] See Running as a Write-in Candidate in 2026 for more information.

All candidates must complete the Write-In Judicial Candidate Application (PDF).

Required Information – All Judicial Candidates

A candidate for the office of chief justice or justice of the Supreme Court, presiding judge or judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, chief justice or justice of a Court of Appeals, district judge (including a criminal district judge), or judge of a statutory county court must provide the following information ALONG WITH their application:

The candidate’s application must include the candidate’s state bar number for Texas and any other state in which the candidate has been licensed to practice law.
The application must disclose:

Any public sanction or censure, as those terms are defined by Section 33.001 of the Texas Government Code, that the State Commission on Judicial Conduct or a review tribunal has issued against the candidate;
Any public disciplinary sanction imposed on the candidate by the state bar; and
Any public disciplinary sanction imposed on the candidate by an entity in another state responsible for attorney discipline in that state.

The application must include statements describing for the preceding five years:

The nature of the candidate’s legal practice, including any area of legal specialization; and
The candidate’s professional courtroom experience.

The application must disclose any final conviction of a Class A or Class B misdemeanor in the 10 years preceding the date the candidate would assume the judicial office for which the application is filed, if elected.

Additional Required Information – Specific Judicial Offices

A candidate who does not hold or has not previously held the office of chief justice or justice of the Supreme Court, presiding judge or judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, or chief justice or justice of a Court of Appeals must include a description of the following information in their application:

Appellate court briefs the candidate has prepared and filed in the preceding five years; and
Oral arguments the candidate has presented before any appellate court in the preceding five years.

Public Office Sought in 2026	Additional Required Petition (Primary candidates ONLY)	CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT HOLD OR HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY HELD THE OFFICE Appellate court briefs (last 5 years) Oral arguments presented before any appellate court (last 5 years)
Chief Justice & Justice, Supreme Court	Filing Fee + 750 signature petition ^b OR 5000 signature Petition in Lieu of a filing fee	x^a	x^a
Presiding Judge & Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals	Filing Fee + 750 signature petition^b OR 5000 signature Petition in Lieu of a filing fee	x^a	x^a
Chief Justice and Justice, 15th Court of Appeals	Filing Fee + 250 signature petition^c OR 750 signature Petition in Lieu of a filing fee	x^a	x^a
Chief Justice and Justice, Court of Appeals	x^c	x^a	x^a
District Judge	x^c	-	-
Criminal District Judge	x^c	-	-
Family District Judge	x^c	-	-
Judge, County Court-at-Law	x^c	-	-
Judge, County Criminal Court	x^c	-	-
Judge, County Probate Court	x^c	-	-
Source: Texas Election Code Section	172.021	141.0311(c)

The information is only required if the candidate does not hold or has not previously held any of those judicial offices. [Sec. 141.0311(c)]
Section 172.021(g) provides that a candidate for the office of chief justice or justice of the Supreme Court, or presiding judge or judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, who chooses to pay the filing fee must also accompany the application and fee with a petition. The minimum number of signatures that must appear on the petition is 50 from each of the fifteen court of appeals districts, for a total requirement of 750 signatures.
Section 172.021 states petition requirements for certain judicial candidates. For candidates running for Courts of Appeals in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 14th, and 15th Districts and all candidates running for judicial offices in Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant Counties, a 250-signature judicial petition is required in addition to the filing fee, or 750 signatures must be collected on the petition in lieu of filing fee. SB 1045 (2023, R.S.) created the Fifteenth Court of Appeals. While the court is composed of all counties in Texas, the qualifications and filing requirements are the same as the other court of appeals districts.