Texas Court of Appeals Becomes Unexpected Political Battleground
In a county where Republican elected officials are increasingly rare, the San Antonio-based fourth Court of Appeals is emerging as a key political contest. Last election cycle saw the election of three Republican judges to the court, a important win for the local GOP despite broader losses in the county.
Now, with Chief Justice Rebeca Martinez (D) retiring, another major contest is brewing. Texas’ Court of criminal Appeals Judge Bert Richardson, a Republican, is running for the chief justice position, recruited by Bexar County republican Party Chair Kris Coons who sees a strong possibility for further gains. “We won the three [seats] there this last year… and now we have a very good shot [at the chief justice spot] too,” Coons stated.
Richardson is running unopposed in the Republican primary, and will face the winner of a competitive Democratic primary. This dynamic could lead to a republican victory nonetheless of which Democrat prevails.
The shift in power on the Fourth Court of Appeals is notable, as Democrats previously held a majority. They lost three experienced members in the last election cycle. The potential for Justice velia Meza (D-Place 2) to vacate her current seat to run for chief justice further complicates matters, as Governor Greg Abbott would likely appoint a Republican to fill the resulting vacancy.
Meza defended her decision to run, stating, “It makes sense that somebody from inside the court would be the chief justice.” Though, other Democrats are concerned about losing control of the court and are rallying behind Antonia “Toni” Arteaga, a long-serving district court judge, in the Democratic primary. Arteaga emphasized the importance of understanding the “dynamics” of the race, urging voters to consider the potential consequences of their primary choice.
Texas Judge Switches Courts,Democrats Eye gains in Bexar County
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge David Richardson is retiring from the statewide bench to run for a seat on the Fourth Court of Appeals,a move he says is about timing and convenience,not fallout from a recent ruling he authored that drew criticism from some Republicans.
Richardson, who penned the majority opinion in a case involving the state’s voter ID law in 2026, isn’t waiting to see if the decision will remain a point of contention with GOP primary voters.
“I’m mindful of the perception of the case,” he said. “[But] that ruling has nothing to do with my decision, honestly. I will have been a judge at the end of this term for 22 years, and I’m eligible to retire. I was just trying to decide what to do.”
Richardson knew he was leaving the statewide role, but said that when people approached him about running for the chief justice position instead – an unusual move to a lower court – he decided it could be a good final race for his career.
“The reality is, right now, Bexar County is fairly blue, but the rural areas, as far as [the Fourth Court of Appeals] goes, tends to make those races much more competitive,” he said.
While four Republicans are fighting it out for his old seat on Texas’ Court of Criminal Appeals, Richardson is also unopposed in his primary.
“it’s closer to home. I don’t have to drive to austin. I don’t have to campaign statewide,” he said of the decision.
A heated Democratic primary
In the years since Richardson was a state district judge, Democrats have steadily flipped every bench seat in bexar County, to the extent that their elections are now also mostly fought out in the primary.
Last election cycle that reached a new level, though, when Chantal Meza challenged then-Fourth Court Justice Beth Watkins in the Democratic primary rather of Republican Justice Lori Valenzuela, who was also up for reelection to a seat on the same court.
Valenzuela was appointed by Abbott to fill a vacancy on the court in 2021, but cruised to a full six-year term unopposed.
Meza, an El Paso native, defended her move as smart politics. She said it was clear that the border counties were clearly moving toward Republicans that election cycle, but the GOP hadn’t fielded a candidate for Watkins’ seat, making it a more winnable race.
“Everyone at the border [was] saying they’re voting for Trump, and so I knew it was the right decision for me to run in a spot that didn’t have a Republican opponent,” she said.
Now in the minority on a court of Republicans, meza said she’s not worried about the partisan divide. The justices work well together, she said, and they’re getting more work done than their predecessors.
“You can look at, not just the output, but the camaraderie, the collegiality,” she said. “I don’t no what happened in the court before I got there, … but we meet in person, we respect each other. … It’s that collaboration that makes this court what it is today.”
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