Court History

Supreme Court Judicial Election History

N.B.: This is Texas Supreme Court election history only. It is not inclusive of any justices who were appointed or promoted under constitutional amendment, but never ran for election.

Left to Right: Justice Thomas J. Brown, Chief Justice Reuben R. Gaines, Justice Frank A. Williams. c. 1900. Photo: Texas Supreme Court Archives.

Justices of the Republic of Texas (1836 - 1845)

The Constitution of the Republic of Texas provided for a Supreme Court to consist of a Chief Justice and Associate Justices. The Associate Justices were the Judges of the eight district courts of Texas. Chief Justices were appointed by Congress.

The District Judges, whose first session was January 13, 1840, served with the Chief Justice as Associate Justices from January 13, 1840 to December 29, 1845, when Texas was admitted into the United States.

Justices Under the Constitutions of 1845 and 1861 (1845 – 1876)

The Governor appointed the justices from 1845 - 1851. Election of justices was transferred to voters in 1851.

Chief Justices

John Hemphill (March 1846 - October 1858)
- 1846: appointed by Gov. Henderson
- 1851: elected (unopposed)
- 1856: elected (unopposed)
- 1858: resigned
Royall T. Wheeler (October 1858 - April 1864)
- August 1858: elected Chief Justice (unopposed) - assumed position in October
- 1864: died in office (suicide)
Oran M. Roberts (November 1864 - 1865)
- 1864: elected v. James H. Bell (to take Wheeler’s place as CJ)
- 1865: resigned/removed from office at end of Civil War

Associate Justices

Royall T. Wheeler (March 1846 - August 1858)
- 1846: appointed by Gov. Henderson
- 1851: elected (unopposed)
- 1856: elected (unopposed)
- 1858: elected Chief Justice (unopposed) - assumed position in October
Abner S. Lipscomb (March 1846 - November 1856)
- 1846: appointed by Gov. Henderson
- 1851: elected (unopposed)
- 1856: elected (unopposed)
- 1856: died in office
Oran M. Roberts (1857 - October 1862)
- 1857: elected v. Peter W. Gray, Thomas J. Jennings, John Taylor, and Benjamin C. Franklin (taking Lipscomb’s place)
- 1862: resigned to fight in the Civil War
James H. Bell (August 1858 - August 1864)
- 1858: elected (as Independent) v. C. W. Buckley (Democrat) - assumed position in October
- 1864: term expired - defeated in bid for Chief Justice
George F. Moore (October 1862 - June 1866)
- 1862: elected v. Reuben Reeves, Medacus A. Long, Thomas J. Jennings, William W. Wallace
Reuben A. Reeves (August 1864 - 1865, 1876)
- 1864: elected v. C. W. Buckley (Democrat) and John Sayles
- 1865: resigned/removed from office at end of Civil War

Justices Under the Constitution of 1866 (1866 - 1870)

Under the Constitution of 1866 (the first Reconstruction Constitution), the Supreme Court was increased from three judges to five, with a term of office of ten years. The chief justice was to be selected by the five justices on the court from their own number. All justices were elected, but some ran on “tickets” and were all elected at the same time.

Chief Justice

George F. Moore (August 1866 - September 1867)

Associate Justices

Asa H. Willie (August 1866 - September 1867)
Richard Coke (August 1866 - September 1867)
George W. Smith (August 1866 - September 1867)
Stockton P. Donley (August 1866 - September 1867)

Justices Moore, Donley, Smith, Coke, and Willie (all on the “Conservative Union Ticket” were elected in August of 1866, running against James H. Bell, Colbert Caldwell, and William Jones of the “Union Ticket”). They were removed by U.S. military authorities in September 1867, and Union sympathizers were appointed by U.S. military authorities to replace them.

Justices Under the Constitution of 1869 (1870 - 1876)

Under the Constitution of 1869, the number of justices was reduced from five to three, and all judicial positions were appointed.

Justices Under the Constitution of 1876 (1876 – Present)

Justices 1876 – 1945

Under the Constitution of 1876, the number of justices remained at three, and the positions were once again elected with a term of six years.

Chief Justices

Oran M. Roberts (Chief Justice, April 1876 – October 1878)
- 1876: elected (unopposed)
- 1878: resigned to become governor
George F. Moore (November 1878 – November 1881)
- 1878: appointed by Gov. Hubbard to fill the place of Chief Justice Roberts
- 1878: elected v. James H. Bell (Republican)
- Nov. 1881: resigned
Robert S. Gould (November 1881 – December 1882)
- 1881: appointed by Gov. Roberts to fill the place of Chief Justice Moore
- 1882: defeated in bid for Democratic nomination
Asa H. Willie (December 1882 - March 1888)
- 1882: elected (unopposed) on Democratic Party ticket with Stayton and West
- 1888: resigned
John W. Stayton (March 1888 - July 1894)
- March 1888: appointed by Gov. Ross to fill the place of Chief Justice Willie.
- November 1888: elected (unopposed) on Democratic Party ticket with Henry and Gaines
- July 1894: died in office
Reuben R. Gaines (July 1894 - January 1911)
- July 1894: appointed by Gov. Hogg to replace Stayton
- Nov. 1894: elected v. Thomas J. Russell (People’s Party), J.M. McCormick (Republican)
- 1900: elected v. J. M. McCormick (Republican)
- 1906: elected v. Frank B. Stanley (Republican), (?) Sanson
- 1911: resigned
Thomas J. Brown (January 1911 - May 1915)
- 1911: appointed by Gov. Campbell to fill the place of Chief Justice Gaines
- 1912: elected v. Eugene Marshall (Republican), E. O. Meitzen (Socialist)
- 1915: died in office
Nelson Phillips (June 1915 - November 1921)
- 1915: appointed by Gov. Colquitt to replace Brown as Chief Justice
- 1916: elected (unopposed)
- 1918: elected v. G. N. Harrison (Republican)
- 1921: resigned
C. M. Cureton (December 1921 - April 1940)
- 1921: appointed by Gov. Neff to fill Phillips’ place
- 1922: elected v. W. H. Wilson (Republican)
- 1924: elected v. C. O. Harris (Republican)
- 1930: elected v. C. K. McDowell (Republican), D. W. King (Socialist)
- 1936: elected v. C. W. Johnson, Jr. (Republican), George C. Edwards (Socialist)
- 1940: died in office
James P. Alexander (1940 - 1948)
- 1940: elected v. L. J. Benckenstein (Republican)

Associate Justices

Micajah H. Bonner (1878 - 1882)
- 1878: appointed by Governor Hubbard to fill Moore’s place
- 1878: elected v. Leroy W. Cooper (Republican)
- 1882: retired
Robert S. Gould (1874 - November 1881)
- 1874: appointed by Gov. Coke to fill Gray’s place
- 1876: elected (unopposed)
- 1881: appointed by Gov. Roberts to fill the place of Chief Justice Moore
John W. Stayton (November 1881 - March 1888)
- 1881: appointed by Gov. Roberts to fill Gould’s place
- 1882: elected (unopposed) on Democratic Party ticket with Willie and West
- 1888: appointed by Gov. Ross to fill the place of Chief Justice Willie
Charles S. West (December 1882 - September 1885)
- 1882: appointed by Gov. Roberts to fill Walker’s place
- 1882: elected (unopposed) on Democratic Party ticket with Willie and Stayton
- 1885: resigned
Reuben R. Gaines (September 1886 - July 1894)
- 1886: appointed by Gov. Ireland to fill Robertson’s place
- 1888: elected (unopposed) on Democratic Party ticket with Henry and Stayton
- 1894: appointed Chief Justice by Gov. Hogg to replace Stayton
J. L. Henry (November 1888 - May 1893)
- 1888: elected (unopposed) on Democratic Party ticket with Stayton and Gaines
- 1893: resigned
Tom. J. Brown (May 1893 - January 1911)
- 1893: appointed by Gov. Hogg to fill the place of Henry
- 1894: elected on Democratic ticket, v. O. H. Maris or C. O. Harris (Republicans)
- 1911: appointed by Gov. Campbell to fill the place of Chief Justice Gaines
Leroy G. Denman (July 1894 - May 1899
- 1894: appointed by Gov. Hogg to fill Gaines’ place
- 1894: elected on Democratic ticket, v. O. H. Maris or C. O. Harris (Republicans)
- 1899: resigned
F. A. Williams (May 1899 - April 1911)
- 1899: appointed by Gov. Sayers to fill Denman’s place
- 1900: elected v. George D. Green (People’s Party), Frank B. Stanley (Republican)
- 1902: elected (unopposed)
- 1908: elected v. C. W. Starling (Republican)
- 1911: resigned
Nelson Phillips (April 1912 - June 1915)
- April 1912: appointed by Gov. Colquitt to succeed Ramsey
- November 1912: elected v. U.S. Goen (Progressive), J. Walter Cocke (Republican)
- May 1915: appointed by Gov. Ferguson to replace Brown as Chief Justice
William E. Hawkins (1913 - January 1921)
- 1913: elected v. J. M. McCormick (Progressive), T. M. Kennedy (Republican)
- 1914: elected (unopposed)
- 1920: lost Democratic bid for re-election
J. E. Yantis (June 1915 - March 1918)
- 1915: appointed by Gov. Ferguson to fill Phillips’ place
- 1916: elected (unopposed)
- 1918: resigned
Thomas B. Greenwood (April 1918 - December 1934)
- 1918: appointed by Gov. Hobby to fill Yantis’ place
- 1918: elected v. C. O. Harris (Republican)
- 1922: elected v. J. H. McBroon (Republican)
- 1928: elected v. M. A. Smith (Socialist)
- 1934: resigned
John H. Sharp (December 1934 - 1952)
- 1934: appointed by Gov. “Ma” Ferguson to fill Greenwood’s place
- 1940: elected v. Joe Ingraham (Republican)
- 1945: maintained position after constitutional amendment
William Pierson (January 1921 - April 1935)
- 1920: elected v. C. O. Harris (Republican), H. B. Short (Black-Tan Republican), Henry Faulk (Socialist)
- 1926: elected v. G. N. Harrison (Republican), G. W. M. Taylor (Socialist)
- 1932: elected (unopposed)
- 1935: died in office (murdered)
Richard Critz (May 1935 - January 1945)
- 1935: appointed by Gov. Allred to fill Pierson’s place
- 1936: elected v. Joe Ingraham (Republican), J. R. Barrett (Socialist)
- 1945: defeated in bid for re-election
Gordon Simpson (January 1945 - September 1945)
- 1944: elected v. Carl C. Stearns (Republican)
- 1945: maintained position after constitutional amendment

Justices since 1945

In 1945, when a constitutional amendment increased the Supreme Court from three justices to nine, the commissioners of the Supreme Court Commission of Appeals all became associate justices.

Chief Justice, Place 1

James P. Alexander (September 21, 1945 to January 1, 1948)
- 1945: maintained position
- 1946: elected v. G. C. Mann (Republican)
- 1948: died in office
J. E. Hickman (January 7, 1948 to January 3, 1961)
- 1948: appointed by Gov. Jester to Chief Justice to replace CJ Alexander
- 1948: elected (unopposed)
- 1954: elected (unopposed)
- 1961: retired
Robert W. Calvert (January 3, 1961 to October 4, 1972)
- 1960: elected (unopposed)
- 1966: elected (unopposed)
- 1972: retired
Joe R. Greenhill (October 4, 1972 to October 25, 1982)
- 1972: appointed by Gov. Smith to fill Calvert’s place
- 1972: elected (unopposed)
- 1978: elected (unopposed)
- 1982: retired
Jack Pope (November 29, 1982 to January 4, 1985)
- 1982: appointed by Gov. Clements to replace CJ Greenhill
- 1985: retired
John L. Hill Jr. (January 5, 1985 to January 4, 1988)
- 1984: elected v. John L. Bates (Republican)
- 1988: resigned
Thomas R. Phillips (January 4, 1988 to September 3, 2004)
- 1987: appointed by Gov. Clements to fill Hill’s position as CJ
- 1988: elected v. Ted Robertson (Democrat)
- 1990: elected v. Oscar Mauzy (Democrat)
- 1996: elected v. Andrew Jackson Kupper (Democrat), David Parker (Libertarian)
- 2002: elected v. R. G. Baker (Democrat), E. J. Flynn (Libertarian)
- 2004: resigned
Wallace B. Jefferson (September 20, 2004 to September 30, 2013)
- 2004: appointed by Gov. Perry to fill Phillips’ vacancy
- 2006: elected v. Tom Oxford (Libertarian)
- 2008: elected v. Jim Jordan (Democrat), Tom Oxford (Libertarian)
- 2013: resigned
Nathan L. Hecht (October 1, 2013 - present)
- 2013: appointed by Gov. Perry to fill Jefferson's vacancy
- 2014: elected v. William Moody (Democrat)
- 2020: elected v. Amy Clark Meachum (Democrat); Mark Ash (Libertarian)

Associate Justice, Place 2

John H. Sharp (September 21, 1945 to December 31, 1952)
- 1945: maintained position
- 1946: elected v. Howell Ward (Republican)
- 1952: retired
Frank P. Culver Jr. (January 1, 1953 to December 21, 1964)
- 1952: elected (unopposed)
- 1958: elected (unopposed)
- 1964: resigned
Jack Pope (January 4, 1965 to November 29, 1982)
- 1964: elected v. T. E. Kennerly (Republican)
- 1970: elected (unopposed)
- 1976: elected (unopposed)
- 1982: appointed to Chief Justice by Gov. Clements
Ted Robertson (December 2, 1982 to December 31, 1988)
- 1982: appointed by Gov. Clements to fill Pope’s position
- 1982: elected v. John L. Bates (Republican)
- 1988: defeated in bid for Chief Justice position
Lloyd Doggett (January 1, 1989 to December 31, 1994)
- 1988: elected v. Paul Murphy (Republican)
- 1994: did not seek re-election
Priscilla R. Owen (January 1, 1995 to June 6, 2005)
- 1994: elected v. Jimmy Carroll (Democrat)
- 2000: elected v. Joe Alfred Izen, Jr. (Libertarian)
- 2005: resigned
Don R. Willett (August 24, 2005 to January 2, 2018)
- 2005: appointed by Gov. Perry to replace Owen
- 2006: elected v. William E. Moody (Democrat), Wade Wilson (Libertarian)
- 2012: elected v. R. S. Roberto Koelsch (Libertarian)
- 2018: appointed to United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
James "Jimmy" D. Blacklock (January 2, 2018, to present):
- - 2018: appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to replace Willett
  - 2018: Elected v. Steven Kirkland (Democrat)

Associate Justice, Place 3

Gordon Simpson (September 21, 1945 to March 1, 1949)
- 1945: maintained position
- 1949: resigned
R. H. Harvey (March 1, 1949 to September 8, 1950)
- 1949: appointed by Gov. Jester to fill Simpson’s place
- 1950: died in office
Robert W. Calvert (September 18, 1950 to January 3, 1961)
- 1950: appointed by Gov. Jester to fill Harvey’s place
- 1950: elected v. Enoch G. Fletcher (Republican)
- 1956: elected v. John R. Anthony (Constitution Party)
- 1961: became Chief Justice
Zollie Steakley (January 3, 1961 to December 31, 1980)
- 1961: appointed by Gov. Daniel to fill Calvert’s place
- 1962: elected (unopposed)
- 1968: elected (unopposed)
- 1974: elected (unopposed)
- 1980: retired
James P. Wallace (January 1, 1981 to September 1, 1988)
- 1980: elected v. Jim Brady (Republican)
- 1986: elected v. Wiley H. Rawlins (Republican)
- 1988: resigned
Eugene A. Cook (September 1, 1988 to December 31, 1992)
- 1988: appointed by Gov. Clements to fill Wallace’s vacancy
- 1988: elected v. Karl Bayer (Democrat)
- 1992: defeated in re-election bid
Rose Spector (January 1, 1993 to December 31, 1998)
1992: elected v. Eugene Cook (Republican)
1998: defeated in re-election bid
Harriet O'Neill (January 1, 1999 to June 20, 2010)
- 1998: elected v. Rose Spector (Democrat)
- 2004: elected (unopposed)
- 2010: retired
Debra Lehrmann (June 21, 2010 to present)
- 2010: appointed by Gov. Perry to replace O’Neill
- 2010: elected v. Jim Sharp (Democrat), William Bryan Strange III (Libertarian)
- 2016: elected v. Mike Westergren (Democrat), Kathie Glass (Libertarian), Rodolfo Munoz (Green)
- 2022: elected v. Erin Nowell (Democrat), Tom Oxford (Libertarian)

Associate Justice, Place 4

Graham B. Smedley (September 21, 1945 to June 16, 1954)
- 1945: automatically promoted under constitutional amendment
- 1946: elected v. S.D. Bennett (Republican)
- 1952: elected (unopposed)
- 1954: died in office
Ruel C. Walker (October 19, 1954 to September 30, 1975)
- 1954: appointed by Gov. Shivers to replace Smedley
- 1954: elected (unopposed)
- 1958: elected (unopposed)
- 1964: elected (unopposed)
- 1970: elected (unopposed)
- 1975: retired
Don Yarbrough (January 1, 1977 to July 1977)
- 1976: elected v. Sam Houston (write-in) and Tom Lorance (write-in)
- 1977: resigned
Charles W. Barrow (July 25, 1977 to September 30, 1984)
- 1977: appointed by Gov. Briscoe following Yarbrough’s resignation
- 1978: elected (unopposed)
- 1982: elected (unopposed)
- 1984: resigned
Raul A. Gonzalez (October 8, 1984 to December 31, 1998)
- 1984: appointed by Gov. White to take Barrow’s place
- 1986: elected v. John L. Bates (Republican)
- 1988: elected v. Charles Ben Howell (Republican), Calvin W. Scholz (Libertarian)
- 1994: elected v. John B. Hawley (Libertarian)
- 1998: retired
Alberto R. Gonzales (January 3, 1999 to December 22, 2000)
- 1999: appointed by Gov. Bush to complete Gonzalez’s term
- 2000: elected v. Lance Smith (Libertarian)
- 2000: resigned to become White House counsel to President George W. Bush.
Wallace B. Jefferson (April 18, 2001 to September 20, 2004)
- 2001: appointed by Gov. Bush to take Gonzales’ place
- 2002: elected v. William. E. Moody (Democrat)
- 2004: appointed CJ by Gov. Perry in September 2004
David M. Medina (November 10, 2004 to December 31, 2012.)
- 2004: appointed by Gov. Perry to take Jefferson’s place
- 2006: elected v. Jerry Adkins (Libertarian)
- 2012: lost primary bid for re-election to John. P. Devine (Republican)
John P. Devine (January 2, 2013 to present. Term ends in 2024.)
- 2012: elected v. Charles E. Waterbury (Green) and Tom Oxford (Libertarian)
- 2018: elected v. R. K. Sandill (Democrat)

Associate Justice, Place 5

William M. Taylor (September 21, 1945 to December 31, 1950)
- 1945: automatically promoted under constitutional amendment
- 1950: retired

Will Wilson (January 2, 1951 to June 1, 1956)
- 1950: elected v. S.D. Bennett (Republican)
- 1956: resigned
James R. Norvell (January 1, 1957 to October 10, 1968)
- 1956: elected (unopposed)
- 1962: elected (unopposed)
- 1968: retired
Thomas M. Reavley (October 10, 1968 to October 1, 1977)
- 1968: appointed by Gov. Connally to take Norvell’s place
- 1968: elected (unopposed)
- 1974: elected (unopposed)
- 1977: resigned
T. C. Chadick (October 5, 1977 to December 31, 1978)
- 1977: appointed by Gov. Briscoe to fill Reavley’s place
- 1978: defeated in bid for Democratic nomination
Robert M. Campbell (December 1, 1978 to February 1, 1988)
- 1978: elected (unopposed)
- 1980: elected (unopposed)
- 1986: elected v. Nathan E. White, Jr. (Republican)
- 1988: resigned
Barbara Culver (February 1, 1988 to December 7, 1988)
- 1988: appointed by Gov. Clements to fill Campbell’s vacancy
- 1988: defeated in bid for election v. Jack Hightower (Democrat)
Jack Hightower (December 7, 1988 to January 1, 1996)
- 1988: elected v. Barbara Culver (Republican)
- 1992: elected v. John D. Montgomery (Republican)
- 1996: retired
Greg Abbott (January 2, 1996 to June 6, 2001)
- 1996: appointed by Gov. George W. Bush to fill Hightower’s vacancy
- 1996: elected v. John B. Hawley (Libertarian)
- 1998: elected v. David Van Os (Democrat)
- 2001: resigned
Xavier Rodriguez (September 7, 2001 to November 6, 2002)
- 2001: appointed by Gov. Perry to fill Abbott’s place
- 2002: defeated in primary bid for election
Steven Wayne Smith (November 20, 2002 to December 31, 2004)
- 2002: elected v. M. Mirabel (Democrat)
- 2004: defeated in primary bid for re-election
Paul W. Green (January 1, 2005 to August 31, 2020)
- 2004: elected (unopposed)
- 2010: elected v. William E. Moody (Democrat), Tom Oxford (Libertarian)
- 2016: elected v. Dori Garza (Democrat), Tom Oxford (Libertarian), Charles Waterbury (Green)
- 2020: retired
Rebeca A. Huddle (October 2020 to present)
- 2022: elected unopposed

Associate Justice, Place 6

J. E. Hickman (September 21, 1945 to January 5, 1948)
- 1945: automatically promoted under constitutional amendment
- 1946: elected v. Andrew Longake (Republican)
- 1948: appointed by Gov. Jester to Chief Justice
W. St. John Garwood (January 14, 1948 to December 31, 1958)
- 1948: appointed in January 1948 by Gov. Jester to fill Hickman's place
- 1948: elected v. Leo N. Duran (Republican)
- 1952: elected (unopposed)
- 1958: retired
Robert W. Hamilton (January 1, 1959 to December 31, 1970)
- 1958: elected v. John Q. Adams (Republican)
- 1964: elected (unopposed)
- 1970: retired
James G. Denton (January 1, 1971 to June 10, 1982)
- 1970: elected (unopposed)
- 1976: elected (unopposed)
- 1982: died in office
William W. Kilgarlin (January 1, 1983 to December 31, 1988)
- 1982: elected (unopposed)
- 1988: defeated in bid for re-election v. Nathan Hecht (Republican)
Nathan L. Hecht (January 1, 1989 to September 30, 2013)
- 1988: elected v. William Kilgarlin (Democrat)
- 1994: elected v. Alice Oliver Parrott (Democrat)
- 2000: elected v. Mike Jacobellis (Libertarian), Ben G. Levy (Green)
- 2006: elected v. Todd Phillippi (Libertarian)
- 2013: appointed to Chief Justice
Jeffrey Brown (September 26, 2013 to September 11, 2019)
- 2013: appointed by Gov. Perry to fill Hecht's place
- 2014: elected v. Lawrence E. Meyers (Democrat), Mark Ash (Libertarian)
- 2018: elected v. Kathy Cheng (Democrat)
- 2019: resigned
Jane Bland (September 11, 2019, to present):
- 2019: appointed by Governor Greg Abbott
- 2020: elected v. Kathy Cheng (Democrat)

Associate Justice, Place 7

James P. Hart (October 1, 1947 to November 15, 1950)
- 1947: appointed by Gov. Jester to fill Slatton’s place
- 1948: elected v. Dudley Lawson (Republican)
- 1950: resigned
Clyde E. Smith (November 15, 1950 to December 31, 1970)
- 1950: appointed by Gov. Shivers to fill the place of Hart
- 1952: elected (unopposed)
- 1960: elected (unopposed)
- 1966: elected (unopposed)
Price Daniel (January 1, 1971 to December 31, 1978)
- 1971: appointed to take Smith’s place
- 1972: elected (unopposed)
- 1978: retired
Franklin S. Spears (January 1, 1979 to December 31, 1990)
- 1978: elected (unopposed)
- 1984: elected (unopposed)
John Cornyn (January 2, 1991 to October 18, 1997)
- 1990: elected v. Gene Kelly (Democrat)
- 1996: elected v. Patricia Barron (Democrat), Thomas Stults (Libertarian)
- 1997: resigned to run for Attorney General
Deborah Hankinson (October 28, 1997 to December 31, 2002)
- 1997: appointed by Gov. George W. Bush to Cornyn’s place
- 1998: elected v. Jerry Scarborough (Democrat)
- 2002: did not seek re-election
Dale Wainwright (January 1, 2003 to September 30, 2012.)
- 2002: elected v. J. Parsons (Democrat), Brad Rockwell (Green)
- 2008: elected v. S. Houston (Democrat), D. G. Smith (Libertarian)
- 2012: resigned
Jeffrey Boyd (December 3, 2012 to present).
- 2012: appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to fill Wainwright's place
- 2014: elected v. Gina Benavides (Democrat)
- 2020: elected v. Staci Williams (Democrat); William Bryan Strange (Libertarian)

Associate Justice, Place 8

Few Brewster (September 21, 1945 to September 20, 1957)
- 1945: automatically promoted under constitutional amendment
- 1948: elected v. H.L. McCune, Sr. (Republican)
- 1954: elected (unopposed)
- 1957: resigned
Joe R. Greenhill (October 1, 1957 to October 4, 1972)
- 1957: appointed by Gov. Daniel to fill the place of Brewster
- 1958: elected (unopposed)
- 1960: elected (unopposed)
- 1966: elected (unopposed)
- 1972: appointed Chief Justice
Sam Johnson (January 1, 1973 to October 16, 1979)
- 1972: elected (unopposed)
- 1978: elected (unopposed)
- 1979: resigned
Will Garwood (November 15, 1979 to December 31, 1980)
- 1979: appointed by Gov. Clements to fill Johnson’s place
- 1980: defeated in bid for election v. C.L. Ray (Democrat)
C. L. Ray Jr. (November 25, 1980 to December 31, 1990)
- 1980: elected v. Will Garwood (Republican)
- 1984: elected (unopposed)
- 1990: resigned
Bob Gammage (January 1, 1991 to August 31, 1995)
- 1990: elected v. Charles Ben Howell (Republican)
- 1995: retired
James A. Baker (September 1, 1995 to August 31, 2002)
- 1995: appointed by Gov. George W. Bush to fill Gammage’s vacancy
- 1996: elected v. Gene Kelly (Democrat), Ellen Flume (Libertarian)
- 2002: retired
Michael H. Schneider (September 6, 2002 to September 20, 2004)
- 2002: appointed by Gov. Perry to take Baker’s place
- 2002: elected v. Linda Yanez (Democrat), Quanah Parker (Libertarian)
- 2004: resigned
Phil Johnson (April 11, 2005 to December 31, 2018)
- 2005: appointed by Gov. Perry to fill Schneider’s place
- 2006: elected v. Jay Cookingham (Libertarian)
- 2008: elected v. Linda Yanez (Democrat), Drew Shirley (Libertarian)
- 2014: elected v. Jim Chisholm (Green), RS Roberto Koelsch (Libertarian)
- 2018: retired
J. Brett Busby (March 20, 2019, to present)
- 2019: appointed
- 2020: elected v. Gisela Triana (Democrat); Tom Oxford (Libertarian)

Associate Justice, Place 9

Meade F. Griffin (April 1, 1949 to December 31, 1968)
- 1949: appointed by Gov. Jester to fill place of Folley
- 1950: elected v. J. E. Vickers (Republican)
- 1956: elected (unopposed)
- 1962: elected (unopposed)
- 1968: resigned
Sears McGee (January 1, 1969 to December 31, 1986)
- 1968: elected (unopposed)
- 1974: elected (unopposed)
- 1980: elected (unopposed)
- 1986: resigned
Oscar H. Mauzy (January 3, 1987 to December 31, 1992)
- 1986: elected v. Charles Ben Howell (Republican)
- 1990: ran for Chief Justice (defeated by Phillips)
- 1992: defeated in re-election bid
Craig T. Enoch (January 1, 1993 to October 1, 2003)
- 1992: elected v. Oscar Mauzy (Democrat), Alfred Adask (Libertarian)
- 1998: elected v. Mike Westergren (Democrat)
- 2003: retired
Scott A. Brister (November 21, 2003 to September 7, 2009)
- 2003: appointed by Gov. Perry to fill Enoch’s place
- 2004: elected v. David Van Os (Democrat)
- 2009: resigned
Eva Guzman (October 8, 2009 to June 11, 2021)
- 2009: appointed by Gov. Perry to fill Brister’s place
- 2010: elected v. Blake Bailey (Democrat)
- 2016: elected v. Savannah Robinson (Democrat), Don Fulton (Libertarian), Jim Chisholm (Green)
- 2021: resigned
Evan A. Young (November 2021 to present)
- 2022: elected v. Julia Maldonado (Democrat)

Research by Tiffany Gilman