Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3

Statewide

Open seat, Richardson did not seek re-election. Alison Fox (31.3%) and Thomas Smith (30.7%) advanced from a tight first-round primary to the May 26 Republican runoff, which Smith won. Okey Anyiam ran unopposed for Democrats.

Incumbent: Bert Richardson(R)

Primary, Mar 3, 2026

One of nine judges on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state's court of last resort for all criminal cases, with exclusive jurisdiction over death penalty appeals.

Runoff result

Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3

Primary Runoff

Called

Thomas Smith

58.1%

719,224 votes

Alison Fox

41.9%

518,975 votes

Updated May 27, 10:33 PM CT·TX SOS

March primary result

Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3

Primary Results

Called · 100% reporting

R runoff

D nominee set

Republican Primary

Alison Fox

31.3%

564,509 votes

Advancing to runoff

Thomas Smith

30.7%

553,631 votes

Advancing to runoff

Brent Coffee

20.0%

360,186 votes

Lesli Fitzpatrick

18.1%

325,949 votes

Democratic Nominee · November

Decided

Okey Anyiam

100.0%

1,870,500 votes

Updated Mar 21, 9:56 PM CT·TX SOS·Called by AP

November General Election

Nov 3, 2026

Rated Safe RepublicanTexPolls, based on structural partisan lean

No major handicapper rates Texas judicial races. This open seat pits Thomas Smith (R), winner of the May 26 runoff, against Okey Anyiam (D). Republicans have held every Court of Criminal Appeals seat since 1998. The rating reflects structural lean, not a forecast.

TexPolls, based on structural partisan lean