Judicial candidates in Galveston County

Galveston County will very likely complete its transition to being a county with all Republican judges next year and the few Democratic incumbents know it. Here is the breakdown of who is running or not running:

306h Family District Court – Judge Jan Yarbrough is expected to retire but she is not officially confirmed she will not seek reelection. Anne Darring and Jennifer Burnett are the only announced candidates on the Republican side.

212th District Court – Incumbent Judge Susan Criss has already said she will retire. Now, it is rumored that she may well resign this Fall to run for the State Representative seat being vacated by the retiring Craig Eiland. That district is clearly winnable by a Democrat and Criss would be trying to follow in the footsteps of her father, former Rep. Lloyd Criss. A Criss resignation would allow Governor Perry to appoint someone to fill out the term. The appointee would become the de facto incumbent and have big advantage in the 2014 Republican primary.

Announced candidates for the 212th District Court on the GOP side are Patricia Grady and Keith Gross. Brett Griffin is rumored to be considering entering this race.

County Court No. 3 – It is safe to assume that Christopher Dupuy will not be the Republican nominee again for County Court No. 3. Announced candidates for the Republican nomination so far are Donnie Quintanilla, Jack Ewing, Phillip Morris, and G. Byron Fulk. A Vinson & Elkins associate attorney named Holly Rumbaugh is being introduced as a likely candidate for CC3 at political functions, even though her experience seems to be in oil and gas and not family, criminal or juvenile law.

If Judge Dupuy is temporarily removed as part of the removal lawsuit filed by the Texas Attorney General, a temporary replacement judge would be appointed and that lawyer could also become a de facto incumbent and change the nature of this race. If Dupuy is not removed in the removal lawsuit but rather remains suspended by the Texas Commission on Judicial Ethics, only assigned visiting judges will be handling cases in CC3. Contrary to rumor, Dupuy is expected to remain suspended without pay until he resigns or his criminal cases are resolved regardless of the outcome of the civil removal lawsuit filed by the AG.

122nd District Court – Judge John Ellisor is running for reelection and there are no announced candidates to oppose this fine judge.

County Courts No. 1 and No. 2 – Judges John Grady and Barbara Roberts will seek election to their second terms and are not expected to face opponents.

Probate Court – Judge Kim Sullivan is going to run for reelection and she does not have an opponent.

District Clerk and County Clerk – Republicans John Kinard and Dwight Sullivan are up for reelection and so far neither has announced opponents.

District Attorney – Jack Roady is already running hard for reelection and despite grumbles from criminal defense attorneys, no one has filed against him.