Democrats Sweep All Four Texas Supreme Court Seats

Texas Democrats won all four seats on the ballot for the state’s highest civil court in Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to unofficial returns posted by the Texas Secretary of State and reporting by The Texas Tribune and The Texan.

Maggie Ellis defeated Republican Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock. Chari Kelly beat Justice James P. Sullivan for Place 2. Kristen Hawkins defeated Justice Kyle Hawkins for Place 7. Gisela D. Triana defeated Justice Brett Busby for Place 8. The Associated Press called Triana’s race after Busby conceded early Wednesday, The Texas Tribune reported.

The vote counts

The Secretary of State’s unofficial statewide totals, updated late Wednesday afternoon, showed Ellis with 5,102,288 votes to Blacklock’s 4,625,886; Kelly with 5,068,047 to Sullivan’s 4,631,182; Kristen Hawkins with 5,112,073 to Kyle Hawkins’s 4,572,758; and Triana with 5,033,586 to Busby’s 4,643,375. The Texan reported the winners finished between about 52% and 53% of the vote.

A Democrat had not won a seat on the nine-member Texas Supreme Court since 1994, The Texas Tribune reported. Justices serve staggered six-year terms. When the new justices take office in January, Republicans will keep a 5-4 majority on the court, according to The Texas Tribune and Bloomberg Law.

Other statewide courts

Democrats also swept all three Republican incumbents off the 15th Court of Appeals, the statewide intermediate court that hears appeals from Texas business courts and cases involving the state, The Texas Tribune and Bloomberg Law reported. Jerry Zimmerer defeated Chief Justice Scott Brister, Tom Baker defeated Scott K. Field, and Marc M. Meyer defeated April Farris, according to the Secretary of State’s returns.

Democrats won or were leading the three contested seats on the Court of Criminal Appeals as of Wednesday, which would leave that court with a 6-3 Republican majority, The Texas Tribune reported. Bloomberg Law reported that Democrats won every appellate court race they contested against Republicans statewide.

Blacklock told Bloomberg Law after oral arguments Wednesday that he was disappointed in the results “but the people have spoken,” and that he intended to help Ellis and the other justice-elects with the transition.

Sources: Texas Secretary of State, The Texas Tribune, The Texan, Bloomberg Law, Associated Press.