About this office
It's very difficult for a case to reach the Supreme Court. So for most Texans who appeal — a custody ruling, a lawsuit, a conviction — the Court of Appeals is the last court that will ever hear it. Texas has 14 of these courts, each covering a share of the 254 counties, and Hays County's cases go to the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin. The Chief Justice runs that court — and this year the seat is on your ballot.
Candidates
Amparo GuerraShe became a Houston municipal judge at age 28, the youngest sitting judge on that court at the time.
About Amparo
Guerra earned her law degree at the University of Houston after working public-interest fellowships with Texas Rural Legal Aid and Michigan farmworker legal services, then clerked for a federal judge before spending nearly 20 years practicing civil law and becoming the first Hispanic partner at her law firm. In 2020 she unseated the incumbent to win her seat on the 1st Court of Appeals, and she's now running for a second term.
Jessica CairdShe's spent almost 19 years as a prosecutor handling appeals for the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
About Jessica
Caird has worked as an Appellate Attorney in the Harris County DA's office since roughly 2007, and since 2021 has served as Appellate Division Chief, supervising and training thirteen appellate prosecutors and academic interns. She's now running to unseat the incumbent for a seat on the 1st Court of Appeals.