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
Monica PurdyShe won her first judicial election in 2020 with a landslide 64% of the vote in Dallas County.
About Monica
Monica Purdy is a Dallas County judge who previously worked as a magistrate judge before winning election to the bench in November 2020. She earned her undergraduate degree from Spelman College in 1989 and her law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in 1992. She's now running for a seat on the 5th Court of Appeals, Place 6.
Benjamin N. SmithHe's been deciding felony cases as a judge since Governor Rick Perry appointed him at just 33 years old.
About Benjamin
Ben Smith has served as judge of the 380th District Court in Collin County since his 2012 appointment by Governor Rick Perry, and has been re-elected since. Before taking the bench, he was chief felony prosecutor in the Collin County District Attorney's office and an assistant district attorney in Kaufman County. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Boston University and is running for the 5th Court of Appeals, Place 6 in 2026.