Who John is
Messinger is endorsed by True Texas Project — the far-right wing of the Texas GOP — and by Steve Hotze, who bankrolled a 2020 "voter fraud" hunt that ended with an innocent man run off the road at gunpoint.
About John
Now Messinger, who sums up his philosophy in three words — "Justice Through Law Enforcement" — wants a seat on the court that decides whether a police search or a chase was legal and whether a conviction stands. He has never served as a judge; in the State Bar's 2026 poll, Texas lawyers preferred his opponent nearly two to one.
Where they stand
- Reproductive RightsUnknown
- Immigration & BorderUnknown
- Housing & AffordabilityUnknown
- Public EducationUnknown
- Election IntegrityUnknown
- HealthcareUnknown
- Social Security & MedicareUnknown
- Gun PolicyUnknown
- Climate & EnergyUnknown
Also on the ballot for Court of Criminal Appeals • Place 9
Every candidate on this ballot line appears here, in alphabetical order. Tap a name to read more.
Holly TaylorTaylor's job has been to find the people Texas locked up for crimes they didn't commit and get them out — she ran post-conviction work with Travis County's Conviction Integrity Unit. Before that she wrote the rules for the Court of Criminal Appeals itself, as its staff attorney. Now she wants a seat on it.
About Holly
She's board-certified in criminal appeals, admitted to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, and ran the Travis County DA's public-integrity division, prosecuting corruption and fraud. When the State Bar polled Texas lawyers, she out-polled each of the Republicans in the race. Her opponent, John Messinger, won his primary with the backing of True Texas Project and has never been a judge. She and her husband John met playing in a band — she sang — and raised four kids in Austin public schools.