On election night, three Republican candidates, backed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, claimed victories in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) races, defeating their Democratic challengers. Republican nominees David Schenck, Lee Finley, and Gina Parker all held commanding leads, with margins of victory exceeding 20 points. By late Tuesday, each candidate was ahead by over 1.5 million votes.
David Schenck, who was elected to the position of presiding judge, is the only one of the trio with prior judicial experience, having served two terms on the Dallas Court of Appeals. Schenck defeated Democratic nominee Holly Taylor for the presiding judge seat.
Gina Parker, a criminal defense attorney from Waco with decades of experience, was elected to Place 8, defeating Nancy Mulder. This marks Parker's second attempt for a CCA seat after a previous run in 2020.
Lee Finley, an attorney from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, won the Place 7 race, defeating Judge Chika Anyiam. Finley gained attention during the primary due to an ongoing legal dispute with a mortgage company over unpaid debts. He is currently involved in an appeal after a court found him liable for not paying his mortgage and ordered eviction. A hearing is scheduled later this month.
All three GOP nominees were part of a concerted campaign led by Paxton to replace three incumbent Republicans on the state’s highest criminal court. Paxton's effort was fueled by the court's 2021 ruling in State v. Stephens, which upheld the constitutionality of a state law granting the attorney general authority over criminal prosecution in election-related offenses. Paxton cited the decision as a key reason for seeking new leadership on the court. However, despite the political shift in the court's composition, the ruling in Stephens is unlikely to be overturned.
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