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
Judy ParkerJudy Parker spent 14 years as a family-law judge in Lubbock hearing child abuse and juvenile detention cases before she ever wore an appeals-court robe.
About Judy
Parker began as an associate at a Lubbock civil litigation firm, then served as an associate judge handling family law cases from 1994 to 2008 and as judge of Lubbock's County Court at Law No. 3 from 2008 to 2017. Governor Abbott appointed her to the 7th Court of Appeals in 2017 and named her Chief Justice in January 2026; she ran unopposed in the Republican primary and now faces the general election to keep the seat.