Here Are the Judicial Runoffs That Were Just Waylaid by Coronavirus

By Angela Morris

Thirty judicial candidates across Texas who were headed to a runoff election to decide their races must come to terms with waiting three extra weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Holding the runoff May 26 would force voters and election workers into close proximity and large gatherings, which risks exposure to COVID-19 and brings the risk of death, Gov. Greg Abbott wrote in a March 20 proclamation. Noting the state-of-disaster declaration gives him the legal authority, he suspended a Texas Election Code provision in order to move the runoff to July 14, with early voting starting July 6.

The proclamation impacts at least 15 judicial races spread across Texas. Here’s a list of the judge candidates whose elections were moved.

Houston

• First Court of Appeals Justice, Place 5: Republican candidates Terry Adams and James Lombardino
• Fourteenth Court of Appeals Justice, Place 7: Democratic candidates Tamika “Tami” Craft and Cheri Thomas
• The 164th District Court: Democratic candidates Cheryl Elliott Thornton and incumbent Judge Alexandra Smoots-Thomas
• The 339th District Court: Candance White and Te’iva Bell

Dallas-Fort Worth

• Second Court of Appeals Justice, Place 7: Republican candidates Brian Walker and Elizabeth Beach
• Dallas County Criminal District Court No. 3: Democratic candidates Teresa Jan Hawthorne and Audra Ladawn Riley

Across Texas

• Ninth Court of Appeals Chief Justice: Republican candidates Scott Golemon and Jay Wright
• Collin County’s 401st District Court: Republican candidates Sarah Fox and George Flint
• El Paso County’s 383rd District Court: Democratic candidates Lucila Flores and Lyda Ness Garcia
• El Paso County’s 388th District Court: Democratic candidates Marlene Gonzalez and incumbent Judge Laura Strathmann
• Fort Bend County’s 505th District Court: Democratic candidates Kali Morgan and Surendran K. Pattel
• Cameron County’s 138th District Court: Democratic candidates Helen Delgadillo and Gabriela “Gabby” Garcia
• Lubbock County’s 99th District Court: Republican candidates Kara L. Darnell and Phillip Hays
• Lubbock County’s 140th District Court: Republican candidates Douglas H. Freitag and Tom Brummett
• Midland County’s 142nd District Court: Republican candidates David G. Rogers and Mary Baker