Tarrant County
Vote for oneResearched · fact-checked
Andy PorterRepublican IncumbentJohn BrenderDemocratic
On ballot as
Andy Porter
John Brender
Current role
Judge, Criminal District Court No. 4 (since January 1, 2023)
Attorney, The Brender Law Firm
Background
- Law degree, Drake University (1998)
- Licensed in Texas since November 1998
- Member, Austin College "L" Alumni Association Board of Directors, since 2010 (per campaign)
- J.D., Baylor University (2005)
- Licensed in Texas since November 2005
Experience
- Reduced the court's average daily caseload "from almost 2300 cases to around 1300 cases" (per campaign)
- Former Assistant Criminal District Attorney, Tarrant County (per campaign)
- President, Texas Association of Appellate Court Attorneys (2008–2009) (per campaign)
- Republican primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
- Tarrant County Democratic Party nominee, 485th District Court (2022)
- Described as a former prosecutor in the party's announcement of that nomination
- Democratic primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
Top priorities
- "I promised to decide cases by following the law as written."
- His campaign says he "believes legislatures write laws, not judges"
- His campaign says he "believes the public deserves an efficient judicial system"
Not found
Tidbits
- Judicial philosophy: Campaign site: "A textualist at heart, Judge Porter believes statutes should be narrowly construed to effect the Texas Legislature's expressed purpose in compliance with the federal and state constitutions."
- Court administration: Campaign site: "Judge Porter also believes the public deserves an efficient judicial system."
- Judicial philosophy: No public statement found
- Court administration: No public statement found
Endorsements
None found in our research
None found in our research
Andy Porter
Republican Incumbent- On ballot as
- Andy Porter
- Current role
- Judge, Criminal District Court No. 4 (since January 1, 2023)
- Background
- Law degree, Drake University (1998)
- Licensed in Texas since November 1998
- Member, Austin College "L" Alumni Association Board of Directors, since 2010 (per campaign)
- Experience
- Reduced the court's average daily caseload "from almost 2300 cases to around 1300 cases" (per campaign)
- Former Assistant Criminal District Attorney, Tarrant County (per campaign)
- President, Texas Association of Appellate Court Attorneys (2008–2009) (per campaign)
- Republican primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
- Top priorities
- "I promised to decide cases by following the law as written."
- His campaign says he "believes legislatures write laws, not judges"
- His campaign says he "believes the public deserves an efficient judicial system"
- Tidbits
- Judicial philosophy: Campaign site: "A textualist at heart, Judge Porter believes statutes should be narrowly construed to effect the Texas Legislature's expressed purpose in compliance with the federal and state constitutions."
- Court administration: Campaign site: "Judge Porter also believes the public deserves an efficient judicial system."
- Endorsements
- None found in our research
- Campaign website
- porter4judge.com
John Brender
Democratic- On ballot as
- John Brender
- Current role
- Attorney, The Brender Law Firm
- Background
- J.D., Baylor University (2005)
- Licensed in Texas since November 2005
- Experience
- Tarrant County Democratic Party nominee, 485th District Court (2022)
- Described as a former prosecutor in the party's announcement of that nomination
- Democratic primary (March 3, 2026): unopposed
- Top priorities
- Not found
- Tidbits
- Judicial philosophy: No public statement found
- Court administration: No public statement found
- Endorsements
- None found in our research
- Campaign website
- Not found
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