June 23, 2015 3:18 PM

Coppedge: Statewide Judicial races under way

Longtime observer of Texas judicial races Dr. John Coppedge takes a look at who is already running and speculates a bit on how it all might play out

The 2016 election season has begun. Candidates are already raising money and campaigning for the six statewide judicial spots in Texas – three Texas Supreme Court seats and three Texas Court of Criminal Appeals seats.

And once again the Republican Primary will determine the outcomes. Democrats will continue their electoral drought in statewide races that now extends over two decades.

The three incumbents on the Texas Supreme Court whose terms expire soon are, of course, all Republican and are all running for re-election. Justice Eva Guzman and Justice Paul Green will get universal support from those who historically take an interest in this court from the conservative side. To date, no potential Republican challengers have emerged for them.

It remains to be seen whether the personal injury bar mounts an effort to remove these two Justices like they tried to do in 2014 in an expensive but doomed attack on Chief Justice Nathan Hecht and Justices Phil Johnson and Jeff Brown.

The full column from Dr. John Coppedge can be found in the R&D Department.

By Dr. John Coppedge