Elections
Texas 15th Court of Appeals seats on November ballot
PN Team • 1 month ago
Three seats on Texas's new 15th Court of Appeals are up for election in November, marking the first time voters will weigh in since Gov. Greg Abbott appointed the court's inaugural members in 2024. Created by the Legislature in 2023, the court handles civil cases involving the state, challenges to state laws' constitutionality, and business-court appeals before they reach the Texas Supreme Court. Winners will serve six-year terms.
Primaries were uncontested, leaving one Republican incumbent facing one Democrat in each race: Chief Justice Scott Brister vs. Jerry Zimmerer, Place 2's Scott Field vs. Tom Baker, and Place 3's April Farris vs. Marc Meyer. All three incumbents hold substantial fundraising leads, backed heavily by Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC and other business and legal interests. Since taking the bench, the Republican-majority court has ruled on marijuana policy, abortion, and campaign finance, at times drawing criticism from Attorney General Ken Paxton. The outcomes will shape the ideological direction of a court with broad authority over state-related litigation.
Sources:
Sentiment
- Ken Paxton Paxton is noted as criticizing the court's rulings, a mildly negative/contentious mention.
- Greg Abbott Abbott is mentioned neutrally as having appointed the court's inaugural members.
- Republican Party (United States) Republican incumbents are noted as holding fundraising leads, a neutral factual detail.
- Democratic Party (United States) Democratic candidates are mentioned as challengers in each race without evaluative framing.
- Texas Texas is the factual setting for the court and election described.
- Texas Legislature The Legislature is referenced factually as the creator of the new court.