DEMOCRATS LAUNCH CAMPAIGNS FOR TEXAS STATEWIDE JUDICIAL OFFICES

DALLAS (Oct. 22, 2025) - Seven Democrats launch campaigns this week for the Texas Supreme Court and Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Democrats are planning to campaign for every statewide judicial office on the ballot in 2026. The Democrats running include current judges and appellate justices, former appellate justices, and attorneys.

TEXAS SUPREME COURT CANDIDATES: Cory Carlyle, former Justice on the 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas, is campaigning for Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice. Justice Chari Kelly of the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin is running for Place 2. Gordon Goodman, former Justice on the 1st Court of Appeals in Houston, is campaigning for Place 7. Justice Gisela Triana of the 3rd Court of Appeals is campaigning for Place 8.

TEXAS COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS CANDIDATES: The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the state's top court for criminal cases. Judge Audra Riley, a felony district court judge in Dallas, is running for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4. Holly Taylor, Director of the Public Integrity and Complex Crimes Division for the Travis County District Attorney' Office, is running for Place 9 on the court. Dallas criminal defense attorney Okey Anyiam is seeking Place 3.

North Texas Congressman Marc Veasey commented on the importance of Democrats running for these offices: "Abbott is systematically trying to control all aspects of government, in service to billionaire donors and big business. Abbott is appointing judges all over the state at every level. He is pushing tort reform so far that people cannot count on getting fair justice when they have been done grievous harm. Meanwhile, Paxton has installed his partisan followers on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals so the court might rule in his favor more often. This centralization of all power by Abbott and Paxton is hurting Texans. Access to fair justice is diminished. The courts' power to hold bad actors accountable is being undercut. The only way to stop the derailing of our justice system is to elect a judiciary with a wider range of perspectives, and with a commitment to the law instead of partisanship."