Instead of letting only politicians set the agenda, we talk to voters and scrutinize polling data to understand ordinary Texans top concerns. Incumbent Democrat Eddie Rodriguez has represented the district since 2003, but decided against running for re-election, instead opting to run for the 35th Congressional District. The cases that start in the lower courts can get appealed and move up to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, where the judges can then decide to review or not review decisions made by one of those lower courts a privilege called discretionary jurisdiction that allows them to turn cases back to lower courts for a ruling. We cant stop the growth in Bastrop County, but if elected as your county judge, I will work hard with our county commissioners to keep our taxes as low as possible while providing the necessary funding to our vital agencies throughout the county, Klaus told the Advertiser last month. Youre allowed to vote by mail only if: You will be 65 or older by Election Day, you will not be in your county for the entire span of voting, including early voting, you cite a sickness or disability that prevents you from voting in person without needing personal assistance or without the likelihood of injuring your health, youre expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day or you are confined in jail but otherwise eligible (i.e., not convicted of a felony). In House District 45, Democratic incumbent Erin Zwiener is ahead of Republican Michelle Lopez 60.75% to 39.25%. There, local officials will weigh the testimonys effect on Gonzales sentencing. Unofficial final results show Linda Guerrero also headed to a runoff with 22.3%. Our readers questions and needs help inform our priorities. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. Here is what you need to know to be an informed voter about one of Texas most important institutions. The states governor can also appoint judges to complete the remainder of an unfinished term if an elected judge resigns or dies. Beckett received 61% of the early vote compared to Culbersons 39%. Nominee: Caitlin J. Halligan. The Associated Press called the race for Abbott shortly before 10 p.m. Abbott declared a "resounding victory for my reelection" at a celebration in McAllen. Greg Abbott has easily defeated Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke for a third term. 99.68% Est. In recent years, the Supreme Court has ruled on a wide variety of high-impact cases, including the enforcement of the states pre-Civil War abortion ban, the COVID-19 mask mandates, the attempted state takeover of the Houston Independent School District board, and Gov. It tells me that we want to see great things happen in Austin ISD. Klaus, 72, a retired heating and air conditioning business owner and Vietnam War veteran, campaigned on fighting crime and making the county safer by bolstering support for the sheriffs department, 911 communications and emergency services. The Pennsylvania primary is May 16. Death penalty cases go directly to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals while other appeals cases, known as appellate cases, go to one of Texas 14 lower courts first. Republicans hold all nine seats in the Texas Supreme Court, the state's highest civil court. Court of Appeals of Mississippi. Judges on Texas Court of Criminal Appeals serve six-year terms. Greg Abbott and the rest of the Republican statewide ticket with big leads. In House District 49, Democratic incumbent Gina Hinojosa is ahead of Republican challenger Katherine Griffin 85.93% to 12.5%. In District 9 Zohaib Qadri led the field of eight candidates with 29.9% of the vote and will go to a runoff. Incumbent Ruben Becerra has an early lead in the race for county judge over challenger and longtime County Commissioner Mark Jones. Polls close in Travis County, most locations in Texas at 7 p.m. Endorsements in the November 2022 election, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Greg Abbotts directive to the state child welfare agency to investigate families of trans youth. The deadline to register to vote in the 2022 primary election was Oct. 11. Other responsibilities for the land commissioner include overseeing the states coasts, distributing disaster relief funds, managing the Alamo and overseeing the Veterans Land Board, which is responsible for the nine state veteran homes and four veteran cemeteries. But tonight the people had the last word. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Young, who previously clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, beat Julia Maldonado, a Democrat who presides over the 507th Family Court in Harris County. The Court of Criminal Appeals is also the final court in which a defendant can appeal a felony conviction they believe was illegitimate. Final voting tallies from all precincts in Uvalde County show that voters overwhelmingly supported statewide Republican candidates, despite the backlash over the states handling of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary on May 24. In District 3, Jos Velsquez had the most votes (38.1%) after early voting numbers were released. Austin's next mayor is unlikely to be decided Tuesday, based on early voting results in Travis County that show a tight race between Kirk Watson and Celia Israel. Voters looking to make informed decisions ahead of the 2022 midterms can check out the candidates websites and use endorsements to help guide their choices on the ballot. Republican Gregory Klaus has an early lead against Democrat Dock Jackson and independent Ronnie McDonald in the race for Bastrop County judge, according to the early election results. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 WebHis opponent was Williamson County, Texas Assistant District Attorney Brent Webster. With high-profile races for Texas governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general grabbing the attention of Texans, voters tend to rely on their party affiliation in these low-information, Texas is one of two states in the U.S. with a bifurcated supreme court system, meaning there are two top courts in Texas. McClures fellow judges filed concurring and dissenting opinions on the case. Im feeling hopeful knowing that the work that we have put in over the course of the last year and a half is laying down the foundational electoral infrastructure, as well as building long-term trust in some of these extremely low-income, underrepresented communities in the Hill Country, Zapata said. Candidates, , trying to avoid sharing stances that voters might believe would interfere with their position as a judge. The states judicial code of conduct keeps candidates from making pledges on how they would rule on certain cases. Here is what you need to know to be an informed voter about one of Texas most important institutions. We need to choose what races we cover closely by using our best judgment of whats most noteworthy. , which prohibits posting someones intimate photos online without their consent. Texas 2022 Judicial Races Voter Guide: Houston Area Most H County clerk: Democrat Dyana Limon-Mercado leads with 74% of mail-in ballots, early voting and provisional ballots. The Pennsylvania primary is May 16. District 9 has three candidates that could end up in a runoff depending on results from the rest of the night. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: CHRISTOPHER HEDERI NEYLAND, Jackson ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEES: MATTHEW JASON SUMRALL. Three other candidates received limited support. With 65% of polling locations reporting, Austin-area state Senate incumbents are fending off challenges to their reelection bids, according to data from the secretary of states office. The nine-member Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the states highest appellate court for all decisions on Texas criminal matters. 9 On June 24, 2022, the circuit court granted the State's motion in part and denied Ferrell's motion. The vote reflects the 216,000 votes counted in Travis County during the two-week early voting window. Michelle Gutierrez Cohen and County Commissioner Walt Smith also have early leads in their respective Commissioner's Court races, according to unofficial results from early voting. TheAssociated Press declared U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican from Hays County, the winneragainst Democrat Claudia Zapata in the 21st Congressional District, which runs from southern Travis County to San Antonio and encompasses much of the Hill Country. Voters must apply for an absentee or mail-in ballot by 5 p.m. May 9. Read more here. After being stripped of his ability to go after violators of election law without the blessing of local prosecutors, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking the states highest criminal appeals court to reconsider its decision. She was first elected to the Senate in 1987 and has served for decades. District 10 stretches from North Austin to the Houston suburbs. That they trust us, that we can deliver and that we will deliver on our promise for this $770 million bond initiative.. The cases that start in the lower courts can get appealed and move up to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, where the judges can then decide to review or not review decisions made by one of those lower courts a privilege called discretionary jurisdiction that allows them to turn cases back to lower courts for a ruling. Read more, We arent able to closely cover all 150 races in the Texas House, 31 in the Texas Senate or 38 for the Texas delegation in the next U.S. House. Seven out of nine of the Supreme Courts justices were initially appointed to the court by Republican governors in between elections. She has been on the bench since 2016. When there is a low-information election, from a political science perspective, people fall back on shortcuts, said Mike Yawn, a political science professor at Sam Houston State University. They dont want to get too political because that would backfire against them, Smith said. Courts where judges are elected have issued 83 opinions, while courts whose members are appointed have issued 60. Check if youre registered to vote, Not always. Early results have Austin school officials optimistic that the largest bond package in the district's history will pass voter approval. 2023 primary election guide. complete the remainder of an unfinished term. Hegar has received 56% of the vote with 80% of precincts reporting, according to the secretary of states office. In reporting on falsehoods and exaggerations, we clearly explain why it is untrue and how it may harm Texans. Our readers questions and needs help inform our priorities. Hays built her campaign largely on fighting the ethically challenged incumbent. Casar, aformer Austin City Council member, left the council in November to run for Congress. With just over half of polling locations reporting, Paxton held a strong lead with 55% of the vote to Garza's 43%. Wilson first took office in 2017. But its pivotal role in Texas legal system does not mean its easy for voters to find information on the five candidates running for three seats on the court in November. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued the most with 20. A third Republican incumbent, Judge Mary Lou Keel, had no opponent in the 2020 election and was previously declared the winner of a second term on the court. Sometimes, we choose to not write about misinformation because that can help amplify it. Three seats were up for reelection this year in each court. Results include Texas Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals, 3rd Court of Appeals, District Judges and Bexar County Court-at-law judges Early voting results will be As early voting tallies come in, Republican incumbent Sid Miller pulled ahead of Democratic challenger Susan Haysin early returns tolead the states agricultural future, control school lunches and manage the states rural healthcare. The 20 seats were up for partisan election on November 8, 2022. We aim to provide historical, legal and other kinds of context so readers can understand and engage with an issue. David Ibaez has been managing editor of KSAT.com since the website's launch in October 2000. The cases that start in the lower courts can get appealed and move up to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, where the judges can then, decide to review or not review decisions made by one of those lower courts. Election day is Nov. 8. When HD 50 Democratic incumbent Celia Israel chose against running for reelection and to seek the Austin mayoral seat, Talarico decided to run for her soon-to-be-vacant seat instead. Read more, confirm with your county elections office, Texas Secretary of State's helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683), decide to review or not review decisions made by one of those lower courts, kidnapping, raping and killing Bridget Townsend when they were both 18 years old in Medina County, sent her conviction back to lower appellate courts to look at evidence of Masons intent. Gonzales was scheduled to die by lethal injection 16 years after being found guilty of kidnapping, raping and killing Bridget Townsend when they were both 18 years old in Medina County, west of San Antonio. Democrats have not won a seat on this court since the late 1990s. Toolin received 31% of the early vote. Locally, Austin voters will elect a new mayor, five City Council seats, five Austin school board seats and three bond proposals (see more information below.). Tuesday night, Patrick led Collier, 55.5% to 42.2% with 5% of polling locations reporting. County judge: Incumbent Democrat Andy Brown leads with 74% of the vote. Democrats have not won a seat on this court since the late 1990s. Republican challenger Rupal Chaudhari trials behind with 26% of the vote. The list also links to the candidates campaign websites and social media accounts. art. [Tex. With results from early voting counted, it looks like Austin taxpayers will pay $350 million to help the city develop more affordable housing. Keel ran uncontested for Place 2 on the Court of Criminal Appeals. As vote counts continue to roll in on election night,Democratic and Republican party advantages continue to hold strong in severalTexas House districts in Central Texas with open seats. They have a huge impact. In the open Precinct 4 commissioners race, Republican David Glass is narrowly leading Democrat Cheryl Reese, according to the early results.