Tarrant County
Vote for oneResearched · fact-checked
Amy AllinRepublican IncumbentFred HoweyDemocratic
On ballot as
Amy Allin
Fred Howey
Current role
Judge, 297th District Court (appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, February 25, 2025; sworn in April 3, 2025)
Criminal defense attorney, Dunham & Jones, Attorneys at Law, P.C.
Background
- B.S. in Advertising, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2012)
- Four-year letter-winner in women's tennis (per campaign)
- J.D., Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law (2015)
- Licensed in Texas since November 2016
- Law clerk, district judges of Montgomery County, Maryland (per campaign)
- Law degree, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law (December 2009)
- Licensed in Texas since May 2010
- Army Reserve: enlisted after high school; later an officer (per campaign)
- Platoon leader, Iraq deployment (2005–06) (per campaign)
- Eagle Scout (per campaign)
Experience
- Appointed to replace David Hagerman
- Former prosecutor, Tarrant County District Attorney's Office; assignments included deputy chief of the misdemeanor division and felony court chief
- Tarrant County's Prosecutor of the Year in 2022 (per campaign)
- Her campaign cites a "20% reduction of backlog cases in just over a year" on the 297th
- Republican primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
- Criminal defense attorney for over a decade, from traffic tickets to murder charges (per campaign)
- Earlier solo practice in family law, estate planning, juvenile defense and child welfare (CPS) cases (per campaign)
- Has volunteered as a Teen Court judge (per campaign)
- Democratic primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
Top priorities
- "Efficiency in docket management is essential to the effective administration of justice."
- "It is the Court's responsibility to ensure that bail is set at an amount sufficient to secure a defendant's appearance in court"
- "Fiscal responsibility is a fundamental obligation of every public servant."
- "I believe in the rule of law and that the United States Constitution matters."
- "I also believe in rehabilitation when needed, mercy when warranted, and harsh sentences when deserved to protect our community."
Tidbits
- Judicial philosophy: Campaign site: she "has remained steadfast in her fidelity to the law and ensuring that justice is properly administered each day"
- Court administration: In a Ballotpedia candidate survey: "Efficiency in docket management is essential to the effective administration of justice."
- Judicial philosophy: Campaign site: "I also believe in rehabilitation when needed, mercy when warranted, and harsh sentences when deserved to protect our community."
- Court administration: No public statement found
Endorsements
None found in our research
None found in our research
Amy Allin
Republican Incumbent- On ballot as
- Amy Allin
- Current role
- Judge, 297th District Court (appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, February 25, 2025; sworn in April 3, 2025)
- Background
- B.S. in Advertising, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2012)
- Four-year letter-winner in women's tennis (per campaign)
- J.D., Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law (2015)
- Licensed in Texas since November 2016
- Law clerk, district judges of Montgomery County, Maryland (per campaign)
- Experience
- Appointed to replace David Hagerman
- Former prosecutor, Tarrant County District Attorney's Office; assignments included deputy chief of the misdemeanor division and felony court chief
- Tarrant County's Prosecutor of the Year in 2022 (per campaign)
- Her campaign cites a "20% reduction of backlog cases in just over a year" on the 297th
- Republican primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
- Top priorities
- "Efficiency in docket management is essential to the effective administration of justice."
- "It is the Court's responsibility to ensure that bail is set at an amount sufficient to secure a defendant's appearance in court"
- "Fiscal responsibility is a fundamental obligation of every public servant."
- Tidbits
- Judicial philosophy: Campaign site: she "has remained steadfast in her fidelity to the law and ensuring that justice is properly administered each day"
- Court administration: In a Ballotpedia candidate survey: "Efficiency in docket management is essential to the effective administration of justice."
- Endorsements
- None found in our research
- Campaign website
- allinforjudge.com
Fred Howey
Democratic- On ballot as
- Fred Howey
- Current role
- Criminal defense attorney, Dunham & Jones, Attorneys at Law, P.C.
- Background
- Law degree, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law (December 2009)
- Licensed in Texas since May 2010
- Army Reserve: enlisted after high school; later an officer (per campaign)
- Platoon leader, Iraq deployment (2005–06) (per campaign)
- Eagle Scout (per campaign)
- Experience
- Criminal defense attorney for over a decade, from traffic tickets to murder charges (per campaign)
- Earlier solo practice in family law, estate planning, juvenile defense and child welfare (CPS) cases (per campaign)
- Has volunteered as a Teen Court judge (per campaign)
- Democratic primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
- Top priorities
- "I believe in the rule of law and that the United States Constitution matters."
- "I also believe in rehabilitation when needed, mercy when warranted, and harsh sentences when deserved to protect our community."
- Tidbits
- Judicial philosophy: Campaign site: "I also believe in rehabilitation when needed, mercy when warranted, and harsh sentences when deserved to protect our community."
- Court administration: No public statement found
- Endorsements
- None found in our research
- Campaign website
- howeyforjudge.com
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