Texas Ballot Compare

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Nonpartisan voter guide · Texas

Justice, 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 6

Race · November 3, 2026 general election

State of Texas
Vote for oneResearched · fact-checked
Ben SmithRepublican
Monica PurdyDemocratic
On ballot as
Ben Smith
Monica Purdy
Current role
Presiding Judge, 380th Judicial District Court, Collin County
Presiding Judge, 95th Judicial District Court, Dallas County
Background
  • Bachelor's degree, Boston University
  • Law degree, Boston University School of Law (2002) (per campaign)
  • Texas resident since 2002 (per campaign)
  • Undergraduate degree, Spelman College, Atlanta
  • Law degree, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University (1992)
  • Law Review member, Thurgood Marshall
  • Licensed to practice law in Texas (since November 1993)
  • Past president, J.L. Turner Legal Association (per campaign)
Experience
  • Appointed to 380th District Court by Gov. Rick Perry, August 10, 2012 (per campaign)
  • Re-elected 2016, 2020 and 2024 (per campaign)
  • Local Administrative District Judge, Collin County (2018–2019) (per campaign)
  • Assistant district attorney, Kaufman and Collin counties, eight years (per campaign)
  • General law practice, McKinney, before the bench (per campaign)
  • Elected to the 95th District Court, November 2020; took office January 1, 2021
  • Associate Judge, Dallas County civil district courts (appointed 2013)
  • Associate Judge, City of Dallas Municipal Courts (appointed 2010) (per campaign)
  • Own practice, Dallas, opened 2004 (per campaign)
  • Partner, national law firm, where she began her career (per campaign)
Top priorities
Not found
  • "Trial experience matters at the appellate level."
  • "Our appellate courts must remain accessible, efficient, and transparent."
  • "Upholding professional civility and decorum."
Tidbits
  • Judicial philosophy: Campaign site, captions to his video statements: "Courtrooms Should Be Neutral"; "Winners and losers in court – why judges should be predictable."
  • Court administration: No public statement found
  • Judicial philosophy: Ballotpedia survey: "Appellate decisions require a clear eye for trial record management, a firm grasp of procedural fairness, and a deep respect for the work done in the trial court."
  • Court administration: Ballotpedia survey: "Our appellate courts must remain accessible, efficient, and transparent."
Endorsements
  • Pat Fallon, U.S. Congressman (listed by campaign)
  • Keith Self, U.S. Congressman, former Collin County Judge (listed by campaign)
  • Ken Paxton, Attorney General, State of Texas (listed by campaign)
  • Dr. Dawn Buckingham, Texas Land Commissioner (listed by campaign)
  • Erleigh Wiley, Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney (listed by campaign)
Show all 38
  • Kenda L. Culpepper, Rockwall County Criminal District Attorney (listed by campaign)
  • Mitch Little, State Representative, District 65 (listed by campaign)
  • Keresa Richardson, State Representative, District 61 (listed by campaign)
  • Brent Money, State Representative, District 2 (listed by campaign)
  • Shelley Luther, State Representative, District 62 (listed by campaign)
  • Katrina Pierson, State Representative, District 33 (listed by campaign)
  • Jeff Leach, State Representative, District 67 (listed by campaign)
  • Angela Paxton, State Senator, District 8 (listed by campaign)
  • Brent Hagenbuch, State Senator, District 30 (listed by campaign)
  • Scott Sanford, former State Representative, District 70 (listed by campaign)
  • Brian Loughmiller, former Mayor of McKinney (listed by campaign)
  • Kelly Shackelford, CEO and Chief Counsel, First Liberty (listed by campaign)
  • Byron Henry, Collin County Republican Party Chairman (listed by campaign)
  • Brent Lawson, Grayson County Republican Party Chairman (listed by campaign)
  • Matt Carpenter, Collin County Constable, Precinct 1 (listed by campaign)
  • Steve Asher, Collin County Constable, Precinct 4 (listed by campaign)
  • Cathie Adams, former Chairman, Republican Party of Texas (listed by campaign)
  • Maggie Whitt, SREC, Senate District 8 (listed by campaign)
  • John Myers, Precinct Chair, Precinct 64 (listed by campaign)
  • BJ Bjorklund, Precinct Chair, Precinct 177 (listed by campaign)
  • Suresh Kumar, Precinct Chair, Precinct 234 (listed by campaign)
  • Robert Vines, Precinct Chair, Rockwall County 2B (listed by campaign)
  • John Hubbard, Mayor of Fairview (listed by campaign)
  • Dusty Kuykendall, Mayor of Lucas (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Municipal Police Association (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Right to Life (listed by campaign)
  • Dallas Police Association (listed by campaign)
  • McKinney Police Association (listed by campaign)
  • Plano Police Association (listed by campaign)
  • Prosper Police Association (listed by campaign)
  • Wylie Police Association (listed by campaign)
  • Godwin Bowman, P.C. (listed by campaign)
  • Plunk Smith, PLLC (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, Dallas Chapter (listed by campaign)
  • McKinney Area Democratic Club (listed by campaign)
  • North Texas Asian American Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • Preston Hollow Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • Teamsters Local 745 (listed by campaign)
  • Stonewall Democrats of Dallas (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
judgebensmith.com
judgemonicapurdy.com

Ben Smith

Republican
On ballot as
Ben Smith
Current role
Presiding Judge, 380th Judicial District Court, Collin County
Background
  • Bachelor's degree, Boston University
  • Law degree, Boston University School of Law (2002) (per campaign)
  • Texas resident since 2002 (per campaign)
Experience
  • Appointed to 380th District Court by Gov. Rick Perry, August 10, 2012 (per campaign)
  • Re-elected 2016, 2020 and 2024 (per campaign)
  • Local Administrative District Judge, Collin County (2018–2019) (per campaign)
  • Assistant district attorney, Kaufman and Collin counties, eight years (per campaign)
  • General law practice, McKinney, before the bench (per campaign)
Top priorities
Not found
Tidbits
  • Judicial philosophy: Campaign site, captions to his video statements: "Courtrooms Should Be Neutral"; "Winners and losers in court – why judges should be predictable."
  • Court administration: No public statement found
Endorsements
  • Pat Fallon, U.S. Congressman (listed by campaign)
  • Keith Self, U.S. Congressman, former Collin County Judge (listed by campaign)
  • Ken Paxton, Attorney General, State of Texas (listed by campaign)
  • Dr. Dawn Buckingham, Texas Land Commissioner (listed by campaign)
  • Erleigh Wiley, Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney (listed by campaign)
Show all 38
  • Kenda L. Culpepper, Rockwall County Criminal District Attorney (listed by campaign)
  • Mitch Little, State Representative, District 65 (listed by campaign)
  • Keresa Richardson, State Representative, District 61 (listed by campaign)
  • Brent Money, State Representative, District 2 (listed by campaign)
  • Shelley Luther, State Representative, District 62 (listed by campaign)
  • Katrina Pierson, State Representative, District 33 (listed by campaign)
  • Jeff Leach, State Representative, District 67 (listed by campaign)
  • Angela Paxton, State Senator, District 8 (listed by campaign)
  • Brent Hagenbuch, State Senator, District 30 (listed by campaign)
  • Scott Sanford, former State Representative, District 70 (listed by campaign)
  • Brian Loughmiller, former Mayor of McKinney (listed by campaign)
  • Kelly Shackelford, CEO and Chief Counsel, First Liberty (listed by campaign)
  • Byron Henry, Collin County Republican Party Chairman (listed by campaign)
  • Brent Lawson, Grayson County Republican Party Chairman (listed by campaign)
  • Matt Carpenter, Collin County Constable, Precinct 1 (listed by campaign)
  • Steve Asher, Collin County Constable, Precinct 4 (listed by campaign)
  • Cathie Adams, former Chairman, Republican Party of Texas (listed by campaign)
  • Maggie Whitt, SREC, Senate District 8 (listed by campaign)
  • John Myers, Precinct Chair, Precinct 64 (listed by campaign)
  • BJ Bjorklund, Precinct Chair, Precinct 177 (listed by campaign)
  • Suresh Kumar, Precinct Chair, Precinct 234 (listed by campaign)
  • Robert Vines, Precinct Chair, Rockwall County 2B (listed by campaign)
  • John Hubbard, Mayor of Fairview (listed by campaign)
  • Dusty Kuykendall, Mayor of Lucas (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Municipal Police Association (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Right to Life (listed by campaign)
  • Dallas Police Association (listed by campaign)
  • McKinney Police Association (listed by campaign)
  • Plano Police Association (listed by campaign)
  • Prosper Police Association (listed by campaign)
  • Wylie Police Association (listed by campaign)
  • Godwin Bowman, P.C. (listed by campaign)
  • Plunk Smith, PLLC (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
judgebensmith.com

Monica Purdy

Democratic
On ballot as
Monica Purdy
Current role
Presiding Judge, 95th Judicial District Court, Dallas County
Background
  • Undergraduate degree, Spelman College, Atlanta
  • Law degree, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University (1992)
  • Law Review member, Thurgood Marshall
  • Licensed to practice law in Texas (since November 1993)
  • Past president, J.L. Turner Legal Association (per campaign)
Experience
  • Elected to the 95th District Court, November 2020; took office January 1, 2021
  • Associate Judge, Dallas County civil district courts (appointed 2013)
  • Associate Judge, City of Dallas Municipal Courts (appointed 2010) (per campaign)
  • Own practice, Dallas, opened 2004 (per campaign)
  • Partner, national law firm, where she began her career (per campaign)
Top priorities
  • "Trial experience matters at the appellate level."
  • "Our appellate courts must remain accessible, efficient, and transparent."
  • "Upholding professional civility and decorum."
Tidbits
  • Judicial philosophy: Ballotpedia survey: "Appellate decisions require a clear eye for trial record management, a firm grasp of procedural fairness, and a deep respect for the work done in the trial court."
  • Court administration: Ballotpedia survey: "Our appellate courts must remain accessible, efficient, and transparent."
Endorsements
  • Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, Dallas Chapter (listed by campaign)
  • McKinney Area Democratic Club (listed by campaign)
  • North Texas Asian American Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • Preston Hollow Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • Teamsters Local 745 (listed by campaign)
  • Stonewall Democrats of Dallas (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
judgemonicapurdy.com

Open in the full comparison: Collin County, Dallas County, Grayson County, Hunt County, Kaufman County, Rockwall County

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