Texas Ballot Compare

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Nonpartisan voter guide · Texas

Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2

Race · November 3, 2026 general election

Bastrop County
Vote for oneResearched · fact-checked
Zachary CarterZachary CarterRepublican Incumbent
Ruth ToddRuth ToddDemocratic
On ballot as
ZACHARY CARTER
RUTH TODD
Current role
Bastrop County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2; associate municipal judge, Smithville (per campaign)
Retired (per Secretary of State filing)
Background
  • Graduate, Smithville High School (2004) (per campaign)
  • Associate of Arts in criminal justice, Blinn College (2025) (per campaign)
  • New-judge school, Texas Justice Court Training Center (2023–2024) (per campaign)
  • New-judge school, Texas Municipal Court Education Center (2024) (per campaign)
  • Bastrop County resident since childhood (per campaign)
  • Degree in music education, Lamar University (per campaign)
  • Former owner-operator, family photography business in Southeast Texas serving school districts and corporations (per campaign)
  • Helped start a Democratic club in South Carolina, 2018 (per campaign)
  • Returned to Texas in 2022 (per campaign)
  • Native Texan (per campaign)
Experience
  • Associate municipal judge, Smithville Municipal Court (since January 2024) (per campaign)
  • Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 (since August 2023) (per campaign)
  • Appointed unanimously by the Commissioners Court (per candidate, 2024 Community Impact questionnaire)
  • Corrections officer and deputy sheriff, Bastrop County Sheriff's Office (October 2007–August 2023) (per campaign)
Not found
Top priorities
Not found
  • "justice should be fair, accessible, and grounded in compassion, not privilege"
  • "I believe a Justice of the Peace should be a voice for fairness, not favoritism."
  • "I will serve with integrity, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to equal justice for every person in Bastrop County."
Tidbits
  • Judicial philosophy: Campaign site: his background "reflects a lifelong commitment to fairness, accountability, and public service"
  • Court administration: In a 2024 Community Impact primary questionnaire: "Experience and a good rapport with other courts and agencies in Bastrop County are vital to accomplish duties as required."
  • Judicial philosophy: Campaign site: "I believe a Justice of the Peace should be a voice for fairness, not favoritism."
  • Court administration: No public statement found
Endorsements
  • Bastrop County Conservatives
None found in our research
Campaign website
electzacharycarter.com
ruthtodd4jp2.com
Zachary Carter

Zachary Carter

Republican Incumbent
On ballot as
ZACHARY CARTER
Current role
Bastrop County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2; associate municipal judge, Smithville (per campaign)
Background
  • Graduate, Smithville High School (2004) (per campaign)
  • Associate of Arts in criminal justice, Blinn College (2025) (per campaign)
  • New-judge school, Texas Justice Court Training Center (2023–2024) (per campaign)
  • New-judge school, Texas Municipal Court Education Center (2024) (per campaign)
  • Bastrop County resident since childhood (per campaign)
Experience
  • Associate municipal judge, Smithville Municipal Court (since January 2024) (per campaign)
  • Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 (since August 2023) (per campaign)
  • Appointed unanimously by the Commissioners Court (per candidate, 2024 Community Impact questionnaire)
  • Corrections officer and deputy sheriff, Bastrop County Sheriff's Office (October 2007–August 2023) (per campaign)
Top priorities
Not found
Tidbits
  • Judicial philosophy: Campaign site: his background "reflects a lifelong commitment to fairness, accountability, and public service"
  • Court administration: In a 2024 Community Impact primary questionnaire: "Experience and a good rapport with other courts and agencies in Bastrop County are vital to accomplish duties as required."
Endorsements
  • Bastrop County Conservatives
Campaign website
electzacharycarter.com
Ruth Todd

Ruth Todd

Democratic
On ballot as
RUTH TODD
Current role
Retired (per Secretary of State filing)
Background
  • Degree in music education, Lamar University (per campaign)
  • Former owner-operator, family photography business in Southeast Texas serving school districts and corporations (per campaign)
  • Helped start a Democratic club in South Carolina, 2018 (per campaign)
  • Returned to Texas in 2022 (per campaign)
  • Native Texan (per campaign)
Experience
Not found
Top priorities
  • "justice should be fair, accessible, and grounded in compassion, not privilege"
  • "I believe a Justice of the Peace should be a voice for fairness, not favoritism."
  • "I will serve with integrity, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to equal justice for every person in Bastrop County."
Tidbits
  • Judicial philosophy: Campaign site: "I believe a Justice of the Peace should be a voice for fairness, not favoritism."
  • Court administration: No public statement found
Endorsements
None found in our research
Campaign website
ruthtodd4jp2.com

Open in the full comparison: Bastrop County

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