Hays County
Vote for oneResearched · fact-checked
Charmaine WildeRepublican
Chris JohnsonDemocratic IncumbentOn ballot as
Charmaine Wilde
Chris Johnson
Current role
Attorney in private practice
Judge, Hays County Court at Law No. 2 (first took the oath of office in 2018; seeking a third term; per candidate)
Background
- Attended Baylor Law School (per her 2022 campaign announcement)
- Attorney since 2012 (per Hays Free Press)
- Practice areas: criminal and juvenile law and probate guardianship (per Hays Free Press)
- Grew up in an Air Force family (per candidate)
Experience
- Former Hays County Assistant District Attorney (per a 2022 Hays Free Press report)
- Former Hays County Bar Association president (per a 2022 Hays Free Press report)
- Ran for the 207th District Court (2022 Republican primary)
- Judge, Hays County Veterans Treatment Court (per candidate)
- Presides over the Hays County Juvenile Court (per candidate)
- Has served as Administrative Judge, Hays County Courts at Law (per candidate)
- Democratic primary runoff (May 26, 2026): won, 50.88%
Top priorities
- At a February 2026 forum: "I cover all those areas that are practiced in Hays County Court-at-Law. I think experience is very, very important"
- Would like to implement an automated system for scheduling hearings (per Hays Free Press)
- Says the courts "have developed a more efficient and responsive Juvenile Justice System"
- Hopes to get a dedicated juvenile master (per Hays Free Press)
- Hopes to get a full-time courtroom at the detention facility (per Hays Free Press)
- On self-represented litigants: "I refuse to stomp on people's rights"
Tidbits
- Judicial philosophy: In her 2022 campaign for the 207th District Court: "Judges are public servants who must be prepared to lead and take control."
- Court administration: At a February 2026 bar association forum, said county court judges "pay attention to what happens at the district court level and if they see something efficient, they do their best to implement it."
- Judicial philosophy: At a February 2026 bar association forum, on people who insist on representing themselves: "I refuse to stomp on people's rights."
- Court administration: Campaign site: "County Court at Law #2 now focuses almost exclusively on criminal matters"
Endorsements
None found in our research
None found in our research
Charmaine Wilde
Republican- On ballot as
- Charmaine Wilde
- Current role
- Attorney in private practice
- Background
- Attended Baylor Law School (per her 2022 campaign announcement)
- Attorney since 2012 (per Hays Free Press)
- Practice areas: criminal and juvenile law and probate guardianship (per Hays Free Press)
- Experience
- Former Hays County Assistant District Attorney (per a 2022 Hays Free Press report)
- Former Hays County Bar Association president (per a 2022 Hays Free Press report)
- Ran for the 207th District Court (2022 Republican primary)
- Top priorities
- At a February 2026 forum: "I cover all those areas that are practiced in Hays County Court-at-Law. I think experience is very, very important"
- Would like to implement an automated system for scheduling hearings (per Hays Free Press)
- Tidbits
- Judicial philosophy: In her 2022 campaign for the 207th District Court: "Judges are public servants who must be prepared to lead and take control."
- Court administration: At a February 2026 bar association forum, said county court judges "pay attention to what happens at the district court level and if they see something efficient, they do their best to implement it."
- Endorsements
- None found in our research
- Campaign website
- Not found
Chris Johnson
Democratic Incumbent- On ballot as
- Chris Johnson
- Current role
- Judge, Hays County Court at Law No. 2 (first took the oath of office in 2018; seeking a third term; per candidate)
- Background
- Grew up in an Air Force family (per candidate)
- Experience
- Judge, Hays County Veterans Treatment Court (per candidate)
- Presides over the Hays County Juvenile Court (per candidate)
- Has served as Administrative Judge, Hays County Courts at Law (per candidate)
- Democratic primary runoff (May 26, 2026): won, 50.88%
- Top priorities
- Says the courts "have developed a more efficient and responsive Juvenile Justice System"
- Hopes to get a dedicated juvenile master (per Hays Free Press)
- Hopes to get a full-time courtroom at the detention facility (per Hays Free Press)
- On self-represented litigants: "I refuse to stomp on people's rights"
- Tidbits
- Judicial philosophy: At a February 2026 bar association forum, on people who insist on representing themselves: "I refuse to stomp on people's rights."
- Court administration: Campaign site: "County Court at Law #2 now focuses almost exclusively on criminal matters"
- Endorsements
- None found in our research
- Campaign website
- chrisjohnsonforjudge.com
Open in the full comparison: Hays County