Chief Justice, Supreme Court
Who is on the ballot for Chief Justice, Supreme Court in Tom Green County, Texas, on November 3, 2026? This guide lists 2 people running for Chief Justice, Supreme Court: Jimmy Blacklock (Republican, incumbent) and Maggie Ellis (Democratic).
People running in this race. Party is shown when the official list names one.
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Prior races for Jimmy Blacklock
Prior races
Earlier vote totals from the linked reports, newest first. The page does not say who won unless the report does.
Year Race Election Votes in the report Source 2018 Justice, Supreme Court, Place 2 2018 generalParty: Republican - Jimmy Blacklock: 4,358,756.
- Steven Kirkland, Democratic: 3,838,411.
- Secretary of State full-race canvass. Not Tom Green County votes.
State canvass elchist331 2018 Justice, Supreme Court, Place 2 2018 Republican primary - Jimmy Blacklock: 1,215,844.
- Secretary of State full-race canvass. Not Tom Green County votes.
State canvass elchist325 -
Prior races for Maggie Ellis
Prior races
Earlier vote totals from the linked reports, newest first. The page does not say who won unless the report does.
Year Race Election Votes in the report Source 2024 3rd Court of Appeals, Place 2 November 5, 2024Party: Democratic - Maggie Ellis: 700,587.
- John Messinger, Republican: 675,885.
- Race total 1,376,472. The two names add up to the race total.
- This is a prior race for both names. It is not their 2026 offices.
3rd Court of Appeals, Place 2 contest
Shared source for names and parties: Texas Secretary of State ballot certification (https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/forms/2026-ballot-cert.pdf), signed August 28, 2026 by Deputy Secretary Dave Nelson. Names are from the Tom Green County section. Election day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
The Texas Ethics Commission treasurer list is a campaign-finance filing, not the ballot. The commission says the office on that form is what the filer wrote and may be out of date.
This page does not endorse anyone.
Jimmy Blacklock
Jimmy Blacklock, Republican, is certified for chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. The court says he became the 28th chief justice in January 2025 by appointment of Governor Greg Abbott, after first joining the court in 2018. That page says he previously served as general counsel to the governor.
Maggie Ellis
Maggie Ellis, Democratic, is certified for chief justice of the Supreme Court. The Third Court of Appeals says she was elected to that court in 2024 and serves in Place 2, and that she is board certified in juvenile law. The Ethics Commission list shows office held as a justice of the Third Court of Appeals, Place 2, and office sought as chief justice of the Supreme Court.
What this job is
The Supreme Court of Texas is the state's last court for civil cases. The Office of Court Administration's October 2026 chart also gives it the last word in juvenile cases. The court has a chief justice and eight justices. Justices are elected statewide to staggered six-year terms.
The court licenses lawyers in Texas and writes the rules for civil trials, appeals, and evidence. The chief justice is the head of that nine-member court.
Sources: Supreme Court of Texas; Court structure of Texas, October 2026
The area
This office is elected by the whole state. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimate for Texas is 31,290,831. The 2024 estimate for Tom Green County, Texas is 120,103. San Angelo is the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, and the city's 2024 population estimate is 100,159.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 county population estimates; U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 city and town population estimates; Texas Comptroller, Tom Green County rural snapshot; U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 cartographic boundaries; U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 TIGER/Line roads; U.S. Geological Survey, Global Map 1:1,000,000-scale rivers and lakes
Main industries here
The Governor's Office of Economic Development and Tourism says Texas is the leading producer of oil, gas, wind, and utility-scale solar energy in the United States. That page names oil and gas extraction, production, and transportation, and renewables, as energy clusters. A separate sector on the same page is food and livestock products, from beef and poultry to tortillas and snack foods.
Source: Governor's Office, target industries
Who holds it now
Jimmy Blacklock. The Supreme Court says he became the 28th chief justice in January 2025 by appointment of Governor Greg Abbott, after first joining the court in 2018.
Source: Supreme Court justices
Who held this seat
This joins two Supreme Court lists of chief justices. One runs from 1876 to September 1945. The other starts September 21, 1945, when the court grew to nine justices. James P. Alexander is on both lists for those two stretches. The pages do not give party, and the earlier list gives months rather than days.
Sources: Supreme Court of Texas, chief justices since 1945; Supreme Court of Texas, justices from 1876 to 1945
The buttons keep terms that overlap that many years back from 2026. A term that reaches into the window is shown in full. This choice stays on this page.
A picture is shown when a public page publishes a portrait of that person. An empty box means no portrait was found. The picture is not part of the office list.
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James D. Blacklock
January 6, 2025 – present
Appointed by Governor Greg Abbott on January 6, 2025.
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Nathan L. Hecht
October 1, 2013 – December 31, 2024
Retired effective December 31, 2024.
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Wallace B. Jefferson
September 2004 – October 2013
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Thomas R. Phillips
January 4, 1988 – September 3, 2004
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John L. Hill
January 5, 1985 – January 4, 1988
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Andrew Jackson "Jack" Pope
November 29, 1982 – January 4, 1985
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Joseph R. Greenhill
October 4, 1972 – October 25, 1982
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Robert W. Calvert
January 3, 1961 – October 4, 1972
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John E. Hickman
January 7, 1948 – January 3, 1961
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James P. Alexander
September 21, 1945 – January 1, 1948
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James P. Alexander
January 1941 – September 1945
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W. F. Moore
April 1940 – January 1941
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Calvin M. Cureton
December 1921 – April 1940
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Nelson Phillips
June 1915 – November 1921
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Thomas J. Brown
January 1911 – May 1915
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Reuben R. Gaines
July 1894 – January 1911
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John W. Stayton
March 1888 – July 1894
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Asa H. Willie
December 1882 – March 1888
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Robert S. Gould
November 1881 – December 1882
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George F. Moore
November 1878 – November 1881
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Oran M. Roberts
April 1876 – October 1878