- Presides over commissioners court, county’s policy-making body. Helps adopt county budget, sets county tax rates, oversees building and maintaining county infrastructure, and other county government operations.
- Serves as judge of county court, taking on misdemeanor criminal and small civil cases, probate matters, and appeals from the justice of the peace court.
- Performs administration duties, ranging from hearings for beer and wine license applications to calling elections. Can serve as budget officer in counties with a smaller population.
- Serves as county’s emergency management director, with authority to designate an assistant to emergency management issues as emergency management coordinator.
- Represents county at ceremonial occasions and on various boards and committees, including Election Commission, Workforce Governing Board, and Bail Bond Board.
- County Judges are elected in a partisan, county-wide election to a four-year term. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, have been a Texas resident for at least 12 consecutive months, a county resident for at least six consecutive months, and registered to vote in that county.
- The annual salary for county judges range from $47,425 to $198,921, set by the county’s commissioners court.

Leads your county’s policy-making board.

Harris

2026 Texas Primary Runoff

Texas

Judicial Efficiency

Election Oversight

Economy

Public Services

Public Safety

Transportation & Infrastructure

Education

Public Health

Energy & the Environment

County Judge

- Votes on various issues, including funding, tax rates, new construction projects, educational programming. They also hire the county superintendent for day-to-day operations.
- Works to equalize educational opportunity for emotionally disturbed or disabled students, students expelled from home campuses, and students recovering from substance abuse or dependency. Also provides adult education and after-school programming.
- Provides county with purchasing cooperative to streamline vendor obtainment process for government entities, including construction, school supplies, education technology, and food.
- Supports educators and school staff with school safety and emergency preparedness training and alternative certifications.
- Are elected in a partisan election for six-year terms. Candidates must be registered to vote in county and precinct (if running for a particular one), cannot be connected to public schools of any district, be at least 18 years old, cannot be a convicted felon, and must have lived continuously in Texas for at least a year and six months in the county.
- Board is paid through tax rate of 0.48%, grants, fees charged for additional services provided, and purchasing cooperative run by board. Members get paid $6 for every meeting they hold.

Establishes policies and provides services to local alternative schools.

School Curriculum

College & Career Readiness

School Facilities & Resources

Student Wellbeing

Teachers

Access to Education

County Department of Education Board Member

- County party chairs appoint and oversee local election officials and workers, manage candidate filings and ballot placement for county offices, serve on the county election board, and help certify local election results.
- The county party chair is elected in a partisan primary election to a two-year term. Candidates must be accepted to vote in the selected party’s primary election or take an oath of affiliation with the party.
- County party chairs may receive payment, but only after the county party’s final cost report has been received on time and approved by the Secretary of State.

Ensures your party is represented in the primary elections. 

Jobs & Opportunity

Administration

Voting & Elections

County Party Chair

- Justices of the Peace oversee Justice Courts, trial courts for civil cases up to $20,000, and misdemeanor cases punishable only by fine. They also perform marriages, issue warrants, conduct preliminary hearings, and serve as notaries.
- Texas has 835 Justice Courts, each presided over by a single judge. Every county has between one and eight precincts based on the county's population, each with its own Justice Court.
- Justices of the Peace are elected through partisan, precinct-wide election to four-year terms. 
- Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, have been a Texas resident for at least 12 consecutive months, a district resident for at least six consecutive months, and registered to vote in that precinct.
- The annual salary for Justices of the Peace ranges from $19,207 to $151,805 and is by the county's Commissioners Court.


Presides over civil cases and fine-only misdemeanor cases.

Policing

Legal Experience

Judicial Administration

Judicial Philosophy

Ethics & Conduct

Community Involvement

Justice of the Peace

- A County Court-At-Law judge handles misdemeanors, such as assault of a family member, property theft between $750 and $2,500, and using force against a law enforcement officer. They also handle civil cases where the amount in question does not exceed $200,000. 
- County Court-At-Law judges conduct arraignments, pre-trial hearings, and jury trials, as well as accept guilty pleas. 
- They are elected in a partisan, county-wide election to a four-year term. 
- Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, at least 25 years old, have been a Texas and county resident for at least 24 consecutive months, a practicing lawyer and/or judge in Texas for at least four years, and registered to vote in that county.
- The annual salary for County Court-At-Law Judges ranges from $174,000 to $244,500, depending on years of service and how much they receive as a county supplement.

Handles civil and criminal cases from District Courts.

Kaufman

County Court-At-Law Judge

Rockwall

- County commissioners vote on the budget and appropriations, which fund essential county services like road maintenance.
- They create and enforce civil and criminal laws that align with state regulations, including land use and construction codes.
- Commissioners implement state and federal mandates while overseeing county agencies and public buildings.
- They also set tax rates for the county and its subdivisions.
- Each Texas county has four commissioners and a county judge, forming the local governing body known as the Commissioners Court.

Taxes

Housing & Urban Development

County Commissioner

- Members of the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) set statewide education policy, including approving graduation requirements, selecting textbooks and instructional materials, overseeing the state’s Permanent School Fund, and approving or vetoing charter school applications. 
- Board members participate in rule-making, review and adopt academic standards, and offer final approval on educator certification and other statewide education regulations. 
- SBOE members are elected from geographically defined “education districts.” Under normal circumstances, they serve staggered four-year terms.
- Serving on the board does not pay a salary, but members may be reimbursed for expenses incurred while doing board business.

Member of the board that governs the state's education system. 

State Board of Education Member

Dayton Lakes

Daisetta

Kenefick

Browndell

Old River-Winfree

Cove

Vidor

Rose City

Taylor Landing

Kountze

Pine Forest

Woodville

Chester

Kirbyville

Anahuac

Nome

Devers

Tiki Island

Brazoria

La Marque

Plum Grove

Arcola

Rose Hill Acres

West Orange

Lake Jackson

Iowa Colony

Jones Creek

Beasley

Sandy Point

Clute

Pearland

Holiday Lakes

Kemah

Thompsons

Freeport

West Columbia

Surfside Beach

Orchard

Danbury

Galveston

Hitchcock

China

Liverpool

Bonney

Bayou Vista

Shoreacres

Sweeny

Seabrook

Weston Lakes

Kendleton

Needville

Simonton

Fairchilds

Colmesneil

Newton

Brookside Village

Meadows Place

Fulshear

North Cleveland

Pinehurst

Bailey's Prairie

Manvel

Morgan's Point

Mont Belvieu

Cleveland

Ivanhoe

Dickinson

Texas City

Liberty

Lumberton

Quintana

Katy

Missouri City

Richwood

Port Arthur

Groves

Rosenberg

Clear Lake Shores

Angleton

Orange

Pleak

Santa Fe

Richmond

Bridge City

Beach City

Bevil Oaks

Nederland

Jamaica Beach

Alvin

Ames

Friendswood

Sugar Land

Stafford

Silsbee

Beaumont

Dayton

League City

Sour Lake

Jasper

Hardin

Full profiles for 15 counties, including Collin and Dallas

Full profiles for down to counties, including Bexar and Brazoria (measures use no coverage)

2026 Texas candidates

Harris County Judge Runoff, Democratic Primary

2 candidates

How this impacts you

Harris County Department of Education Board Member Runoff, Republican Primary

2 candidates

How this impacts you

Harris County Party Chair Runoff, Republican Primary

2 candidates

How this impacts you

Harris Justice of the Peace Runoff, Justice Precinct 7, Democratic Primary

2 candidates

How this impacts you

Hunt Justice of the Peace Runoff, Justice Precinct 1, Republican Primary

2 candidates

How this impacts you

Kaufman County Court-At-Law Judge Runoff, Republican Primary

2 candidates

Rockwall County Court-At-Law Judge Runoff, Republican Primary

2 candidates

Tarrant County Commissioner Runoff, District 2, Democratic Primary

2 candidates

Texas State Board of Education Member Runoff, District 7, Democratic Primary

2 candidates

How this impacts you

Texas State Board of Education Member Runoff, District 5, Democratic Primary

2 candidates

How this impacts you