When parents divorce or fight over custody, a family district court makes the call about the children. Lyndsay Newell, a Democrat, is running for the 231st. She is a family law attorney and partner, and she used to be a first-grade teacher.
Newell has 13 years as a lawyer, including time at the Texas Court of Appeals, and holds a master's degree in child and family studies. She is a mother of two and this is her first run for office. She says she would keep children's needs first and give parents the resources to care for them.
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.