About this office
It's very difficult for a case to reach the Supreme Court. So for most Texans who appeal — a custody ruling, a lawsuit, a conviction — the Court of Appeals is the last court that will ever hear it. Texas has 14 of these courts, each covering a share of the 254 counties, and Hays County's cases go to the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin. The Chief Justice runs that court — and this year the seat is on your ballot.
Candidates
Michael DavisMichael Davis went from small-town Texas lawyer to appellate judge, appointed by Governor Abbott twice in less than a decade.
About Michael
Davis served as judge of the 369th Judicial District Court covering Anderson, Cherokee, and Leon counties after Abbott first appointed him in 2017. In October 2025, Abbott appointed him to Place 3 on the Twelfth Court of Appeals, and he also teaches as an adjunct professor at the Texas Tech University School of Law. He is running to keep his appellate seat in the 2026 election.