| Court & Place | Democrat | Republican | Republican | Notes/Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Holly Taylor (D-Austin) | Jennifer Balido (R-Dallas) | John Messinger (R-Austin) | Candidate (L) | |
| Campaign Mailing Address | 1101 West 34th Street, No. 119 | 10440 North Central Expressway, Suite 1500 Dallas, TX 75231 | . | |
| Campaign Phone | (512) 643-3637 | |||
| Campaign Website | hollytforjudge.com | judgebalido.com | messingerforjustice.com | |
| Social Media Links | twitter youtube | twitter | twitter | |
| Bar Card Number | 00794721 | 10474880 | 24053705 | |
| Current Occupation | Director of the Public Integrity and Complex Crimes Division Travis County District Attorney's Office | District Judge Criminal District Court No. 1 since 2025 | Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney since 2011 | |
| Years of Texas Residency | Native Texan | 60 years, 7 months | ||
| JD School & Year | University of Texas 1995 | Texas Tech University School of Law 1990 | Baylor University 2006 | |
| Other Education | Master's of Public Affairs, University of Texas 1995 B.A., Rice University 1989 | University of Texas at Austin, BA in English 1987 | ||
| Year of State Bar Licensure | 1995 | 1991 | 2006 | |
| Legal Experience - Nonjudicial | Travis County District Attorney’s Office: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: | Dallas County District Attorney's Office - Appellate Division Chief, Administrative Chief, Felony Court Chief - Trial Division, Appellate Division Attorney 1992-2009, 2010-2013, 2014-2025 County Public Defender's Office Private Practice | 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 | 150 as attorney, 40 as judge | ||
| Appellate Judicial Experience | ||||
| Other Judicial Experience | Criminal District Court No. 1 291st District Court (2013) 203rd District Court (2009) | |||
| Board Certifications | Criminal Appellate Law | . | ||
| Courts Admitted | U.S. Supreme Court Texas state courts | All Texas state courts | ||
| Honors and Awards |
| . | ||
| Prior Elections | 2024 Texas General Election | 2014 General Election, 291st District Court: Republican Jennifer Balido 47% Democrat Stephanie Huff 53% 2014 Republican Primary: No Opponent 2010 General Election, 203rd District Court: Republican Jennifer Balido 49% Democrat Teresa Hawthorne 51% 2010 Republican Primary: No Opponent | 2024 Primary, 3rd Court of Appeals Place 2 Unopposed | |
| Most Recent Bar Polls | 2024: Holly 2,052, Her opponent 1,538 (The incumbent received more votes in the State Bar Poll, but lost in the primary election.) | |||
| Key Endorsements (Max 5) | CLEAT Dallas Police Association | |||
| Judicial Philosophy (Max 250 words) | Holly is dedicated to building and sustaining a justice system that is:
| Every day as a criminal district court judge I exercise my judicial philosophy: apply the law as written to the cases that come before me. Unfortunately, frequently someone comes before me and asks me to do something outside my authority under the guise of "you can do it because you are a district judge" or "who is going to know if no one complains". My answer always is--show me in the law that I have that power or that the law allows me to do what you are asking, and I will consider it; if not, then don't ask me. The government, including the judiciary, only has the power the people allow it to have, through the state and federal constitutions and statues, and going outside that given power is the definition of judicial activism. | ||
| 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 1-4-26 | Gathered from public sources |
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