Fort Bend County
District Judge, 501st Judicial District
Richard T. Bell
Republican Incumbent- On ballot as
- RICHARD T. BELL
- Current role
- Judge, 501st District Court (appointed; since December 1, 2025)
- Background
- J.D., South Texas College of Law (May 1997)
- Bachelor of Arts in business, Southwestern University (1994)
- Licensed in Texas since November 1997
- Experience
- Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott November 24, 2025; took office December 1, 2025
- Associate Judge, 387th District Court, Fort Bend County, from 2015 (per campaign)
- Family law attorney, nearly twenty years before joining the bench (per court's website)
- Adjunct professor, University of Houston Law Center (per court's website)
- Past president, Fort Bend County Bar Association (per campaign)
- Republican primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
- Top priorities
- Campaign: "committed to upholding the rule of law, protecting public safety, and ensuring that every person who enters his courtroom is treated with fairness, dignity, and respect"
- "Judge Bell presides over cases fairly and efficiently, giving families and children the stability and protection they need."
- "Judge Bell requires professionalism be displayed at all times in his court and leads by example."
- Tidbits
- Judicial philosophy: Campaign site: "Judge Bell ensures that everyone receives a fair trial from a knowledgeable judge."
- Court administration: Campaign site: "Judge Bell requires professionalism be displayed at all times in his court and leads by example."
- Endorsements
- Fort Bend Business Coalition
- Campaign website
- judgebell.org
Open in the full comparison: Fort Bend County