Lawyers in Texas are often divided between plaintiff’s attorneys and defense counsel when it comes to supporting judicial candidates. Elections for the seats on the Supreme Court of Texas easily reveal this truth.
There are, however, a handful of judges who garner widespread support from both legal and political spectrums.
The State Bar of Texas released its official poll of its members. Less than five percent of the lawyers registered to practice law participated in the survey.
The poll shows that there are a handful of appellate judges across the state that garner great respect from a large percentage of members of the Texas bar, but the state’s highest court continues to be divisive.
Justice Gina Benavides of McAllen is the clear-cut winner in her race for the Texas Thirteenth Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi. Justice Benavides received 80 percent of the vote.
Justice Elizabeth Lang Miers received 74 percent of the vote in her bid for re-election to the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas.
Four sitting state appellate judges – Justice Jane Bland and Justice Martha Jamison in Houston and Justice David Evans and Justice Molly Francis – received two-thirds of the votes cast by the lawyers in their respective regions.
Justice Douglas Lang was not far behind, garnering 62 percent of the lawyer vote in his bid to become chief justice of the Fifth Court of Appeals.
The state bar poll shows one interesting tidbit: Dallas District Judge Ken Molberg received 57 percent support among the local bar in his bid to serve on the Fifth Court of Appeals.
As expected, the races for the Texas Supreme Court are hotly contested and divided.
Texas lawyers overwhelmingly voted against Justice John Devine in his bid for re-election to the state’s highest court. The bar gave 56 percent of their support to Justice Devine’s opponent, Harris Co. District Judge R.K. Sandill.
Supreme Court Justice Jeff Brown captured 53 percent of the votes of the Texas attorneys who voted.
