Democratic Primary Race in March, with possible runoff
General Election Race in November
| Court & Place | Democrat | Democrat | Republican | Notes/Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Edward Smith* | Maggie Ellis | John Messinger | Candidate (L) | |
| Texas Bar Card Number | 24037790 | 24075401 | 24053705 | |
| Campaign Mailing Address | P.O. Box 650085, Austin, Texas 78765 | Maggie Ellis Campaign 8127 Mesa Dr. Ste B206-225, Austin, TX 78759 | ||
| Campaign Contact | maggie@maggieforjustice.com | messingerforjustice.com/contact | ||
| Campaign Website | smithforjustice.com | maggieforjustice.com | messingerforjustice.com | |
| Social Media Links | twitter | |||
| Current Occupation | Justice, 3rd Court of Appeals | Private Practice since 2017 | Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney | |
| Years of Texas Residency | Native | |||
| JD School & Year | Texas Wesleyan University School of Law 2005 | Baylor University 2010 | Baylor University 2006 | |
| Other Education | B.S. Political science Texas A&M University (2001) | |||
| Year of State Bar Licensure | 2005 also licensed in California | 2010 | 2006 | |
| Legal Experience - Nonjudicial |
| Private Practice 2017-present Assistant District Attorney, Travis County 2012-2017 Attorney, Coldwell | Bowes, L.L.P 2011-2012 | McLennan County District Attorney's Office | |
| Jury Trial Experience | ||||
| Appellate Judicial Experience | ||||
| Other Judicial Experience | ||||
| Board Certifications | Juvenile Law | |||
| Courts Admitted | ||||
| Honors and Awards | ||||
| Prior Elections | 2024 Primary 31.48% vs two opponents 2018 Texas Democratic Party Primary Third Court of Appeals, Place 2 100%; unopposed | 2024 Primary 40.5% | ||
| Most Recent Bar Polls | 2024 - 218 21% | 2024 - 270 26% | 2024 - 207 20% | |
| Key Endorsements (Max 5) | ||||
| Judicial Philosophy (Max 250 words) | ||||
| Misc | •chair of the State Bar’s Pattern Jury Charges—Criminal Committee •John has filed 115 petitions for discretionary review in the Court of Criminal Appeals and has represented the State in over 90 cases granted review by that court. He has also represented the State in over 150 cases in the intermediate courts of appeals. John has presented oral argument in over 40 cases, split almost evenly between the Court of Criminal Appeals and intermediate courts of appeals. | |||
| Date Submitted by Candidate | Gathered from public info | Gathered from public info | Gathered from public info |
