Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Texas
November 3, 2026 · Texas · Statewide · general
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Low · 6 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 30,188,424 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(39,287,377 ÷ 30,188,424) ÷ ln(39,287,377 ÷ 582,397) = 6.26, comparing all statewide districts nationwide (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Low representation + unknown decisiveness → Below average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
This office is responsible for:
- Hearing appeals and major cases under state law
- Deciding what the state constitution and state laws mean
- Setting rulings that lower state courts must follow
Affected Areas: Public Safety and Crime Control, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights, Election Integrity, Civil Rights, Impartiality, Legal Competence
Candidates
Jimmy Blacklock
Republican · Incumbent · declared
Jimmy Blacklock is the Republican incumbent Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, elevated to chief justice by Governor Abbott in 2025 after serving as an associate justice since 2018. A UT-Austin and Yale Law graduate, he clerked on the Fifth Circuit, worked at Vinson & Elkins and the U.S. DOJ, and served as Governor Abbott's general counsel before joining the court. He faces Democrat Maggie Ellis in the 2026 general election.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for, Gun Control 1 for, Legal Competence 2 for
Maggie Ellis
Democratic · declared
Maggie Ellis is the 2026 Democratic nominee for Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, currently a justice on the Texas Third Court of Appeals (Place 2) since January 2025 — the first openly LGBTQ woman elected to a Texas appellate court. A former Travis County prosecutor and state administrative law judge, she holds a Baylor law degree. She faces Republican incumbent Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock in November.
Records: Legal Competence 1 for
Election sources
Source: sos.state.tx.us