All Races
Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3
StatewideOpen seat — Richardson did not seek re-election. Republicans head to a runoff between Daniel Smith (31.0%) and Melissa Fox (30.9%). Okey Anyiam ran unopposed for Democrats.
Incumbent: Bert Richardson(R)
Primary — Mar 3, 2026Safe R
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.
Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3
Primary Results
Called · 100% reporting
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 Primary
Okey Anyiam wins
Okey Anyiam
100.0%
1,870,500 votes
Republican Primary
Brent Coffee
Assistant Attorney General
Lesli Fitzpatrick
Director of Special Litigation, TDCJ
Alison Fox
Research Attorney, Court of Criminal Appeals
Thomas Smith
Special Assistant Attorney General
Democratic Primary
Okey Anyiam
Criminal defense attorney
Key Dates
Primary ElectionMar 3, 2026
Runoff (if needed)May 26, 2026
General ElectionNov 3, 2026
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