Republican judicial candidates have fared so poorly in recent Bexar County elections that this year, none are even running.
Democrats took control of the last four remaining Republican-held state District Court bench seats in Bexar County in 2022, completing a partisan shift that began in 2018.
Democrats and Republicans are supposed to choose their candidates for 12 other District Court seats on the November ballot, but in the March 5 Republican primary, voters won’t even see those races on their ballot. .
“It’s kinda funny, but it’s really pathetic,” said San Antonio Republican political consultant Kelton Morgan. “It used to be that top-tier Republican candidates would fight to get on the ballot in the gubernatorial year, and second-tier candidates would run in presidential year. This year even crazy people are looking at that thinking it’s not competitive.”
Of the 12 District Court seats up in 2024, 11 feature an incumbent Democrat running unopposed in the primary.
In the 73rd Civil District Court, Judge David Canales, a Democrat, stepped down Feb. 1, and Gov. Greg Abbott appointed former Bexar County Commissioner Marialyn Barnard, a Republican, to fill the seat Friday. The filing deadline for the primary closed in December, so Barnard will hold the seat only until one of three Democrats running to replace Canales is elected in November.
Republicans haven’t had success countywide in Bexar County since 2010.
“There’s really not a point [in running], said Timothy Johnson, a Republican who served as a judge for the Bexar County Court-at-Law No. 5 from 1986 to 2009 and has served as a visiting judge across Texas.
Johnson pointed to the widespread losses Bexar County Republican candidates weathered during the 2020 presidential election as evidence that the quality of candidate had no bearing their success.
“Good, bad, indifferent, they all lost by about [the same number of] votes,” he said.
This year, both state and local GOP party leaders have been more focused on running candidates against their own elected office holders.
On Texas’ nine-member Court of Criminal Appeals, which is controlled entirely by Republicans, three incumbents up for reelection this year all face challenges from their own party. Notably, embattled Attorney General Ken Paxton is backing candidates running against Presiding Judge Sharon Keller, Barbara Parker Harvey (Place 7) and Michelle Slaughter (Place 8).
One place where both parties have historically been able to compete is the 4th Court of Appeals. The seven-member court hears cases from a 32-county South Texas and Hill Country region, and the vast majority of votes typically come from Bexar County.
But this year local Democrats failed to field a candidate for a judgeship their party had a shot at picking up.
The court’s lone Republican, Lori Valenzuela (Place 7), was appointed to the role by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2021 and won a special election to hold the seat by fewer than 10,000 votes in 2022. This year Valenzuela is running unopposed in the primary and general election in her first bid for a full term.
Bexar County district judges
37th Civil District Court
Democrat: Nicole Garza (incumbent)
Republican: None
57th Civil District Court
Democrat: Antonia “Toni” Arteaga (incumbent)
Republican: None
73rd Civil District Court
Democrat: Ana Laura Ramirez, Dannick Villaseñor-Hernandez, Elizabeth Martinez
Republican: None
131st Civil District Court
Democrat: Norma Gonzales (incumbent)
Republican: None
166th Civil District Court
Democrat: Laura Salinas (incumbent)
Republican: None
175th Criminal District Court
Democrat: Catherine Torres-Stahl (incumbent)
Republican: None
379th Criminal District Court
Democrat: Ron Rangel (incumbent)
Republican: None
386th Juvenile District Court
Democrat: Jacqueline “Jackie” Valdés (incumbent)
Republican: None
399th Criminal District Court
Democrat: Frank Castro (incumbent)
Republican: None
407th Civil District Court
Democrat: Tina Torres (incumbent)
Republican: None
408th Civil District Court
Democrat: Angelica Jimenez (incumbent)
Republican: None
438th Civil District Court
Democrat: Rosie Alvarado (incumbent)
Republican: None
4th Court of Appeals
Texas’ seven-member 4th Court of Appeals is made up of six Democrats and one Republican. They hear cases from a 32-county South Texas and Hill County region. Five seats are up for election this year. One incumbent, Justice Beth Watkins (Place 2), faces a challenge from a fellow Democrat. No Democrats are challenging the lone Republican, Justice Lori Valenzuela (Place 7).
Place 2
Democrat: Beth Watkins (incumbent), Velia Meza
Republican: None
Place 3
Democrat: Cynthia Marie Chapa
Republican: Todd McCray, Michael Ritter
Place 4
Democrat: Luz Elena Chapa (incumbent)
Republican: Lori Massey Brissette
Place 5
Democrat: Liza Rodriguez (incumbent)
Republican: Adrian Spears
Place 7
Democrat: None
Republican: Lori Valenzuela (incumbent)
Court of Criminal Appeals
Texas’ nine-member Court of Criminal Appeals is controlled entirely by Republicans. This year three seats are up for reelection, and all three incumbents face primary challengers.
Presiding judge
Republican: Sharon Keller (incumbent), David Schenck
Democrat: Holly Taylor
Place 7
Republican: Barbara Parker Hervey (incumbent), Gina Parker
Democrat: Nancy Mulder
Place 8
Republican: Michelle Slaughter (incumbent), Lee Finley
Democrat: Chika Anyiam
Texas Supreme Court
The nine-member Texas Supreme Court is made up entirely of Republicans. Three seats are up this year, and just one incumbent, Justice John Devine in Place 4, faces a challenge from his own party. The candidates are seeking a six-year term.
Place 2
Republican: Jimmy Blacklock (incumbent)
Democrat: DaSean Jones, Randy Sarosdy
Place 4
Republican: John Devine (incumbent), Brian Walker
Democrat: Christine Vinh Weems
Place 6
Republicas: Jane Bland (incumbent)
Democrat: Joe Pool, Bonnie Lee Goldstein
