These candidates will face each other in the November general election
| Court & Place | Democrat | Republican | Notes/Other |
|---|---|---|---|
Holly Taylor (D-Austin) | John Messinger (R-Austin) | Candidate (L) | |
| Campaign Mailing Address | 1101 West 34th Street, No. 119 | P.O. Box 305 Pflugerville, TX 78691-0305 | |
| Campaign Phone | (512) 643-3637 | (512) 365-4026 | |
| Campaign Website | hollytforjudge.com | messingerforjustice.com | |
| Social Media Links | twitter youtube | twitter | |
| Bar Card Number | 00794721 | 24053705 | |
| Current Occupation | Director of the Public Integrity and Complex Crimes Division Travis County District Attorney's Office | Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney since 2011 | |
| Years of Texas Residency | Native Texan | 22 years | |
| JD School & Year | University of Texas 1995 | Baylor University 2006 | |
| Other Education | Master's of Public Affairs, University of Texas 1995 B.A., Rice University 1989 | New Jersey Institute of Technology, B.S./M.S. Marketing, 1999/2000 | |
| Year of State Bar Licensure | 1995 | 2006 | |
| Legal Experience - Nonjudicial | Travis County District Attorney’s Office: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: | Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney since 2011 McLennan County District Attorney's Office - 150 briefs in Courts of Appeals -120 Petitions for discretionary review - 90 briefs in Court of Criminal Appeals -45 oral arguments | |
| Jury Trial Experience | 5 trials | 2 trials as attorney | |
| Appellate Judicial Experience | |||
| Other Judicial Experience | |||
| Board Certifications | Criminal Appellate Law | ||
| Courts Admitted | U.S. Supreme Court Texas state courts | ||
| Honors and Awards |
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| Prior Elections | 2024 Texas General Election | 2024 General Election, 3rd Court of Appeals Place 2 49% vs Maggie Ellis 2024 Primary, 3rd Court of Appeals Place 2 Unopposed | |
| Most Recent Bar Polls | 2026 - 1529 47% | 2026 - 799 24% | |
| Key Endorsements (Max 5) | 20 State Republican Executive Committee members Grassroots America - We the People True Texas Project Montgomery County Tea Party Dr. Steve Hotze | ||
| Judicial Philosophy (Max 250 words) | Holly is dedicated to building and sustaining a justice system that is:
| It should be obvious, but in a system of law you cannot have justice without enforcing the law. Yet too many judges do what seems right in their own eyes instead of following the law as written. All Republican judicial candidates say they won't legislate from the bench. More often than not, you just have to trust them because they have no record to prove it. I have a written record of advocacy as a prosecutor---hundreds of briefs, petitions, motions---that proves my faithfulness to the law. | |
| Misc | •Former adjunct law professor, the University of Texas School of Law •Co-Chair, Austin Bar Association committee that provides free monthly trainings and annual ethics training for lawyers •Spouse and mother to four children | •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. •Serves at local church and pregnancy center | |
| Date Submitted by Candidate | Submitted by candidate 11-25-25 | Submitted by candidate 1-31-26 |
