Julie Countiss was sworn into her first judgeship by her own father, a retired Texas appellate justice.
Countiss served six years on the First Court of Appeals (2019-2024) after winning election to Place 7 in 2018, writing more than 300 opinions and being named Appellate Judge of the Year by the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists. She lost her re-election bid for Place 7 in 2024 and is now running for the court's Place 4 seat in 2026.
Judges aren't allowed to take sides on these values — it's against judicial ethics rules. The best clue to how a judge thinks is the party they run with.