Republican Jimmy Blacklock is running for chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election. The official certified ballot lists Democrat Maggie Ellis as his opponent.
Judicial experience
The Texas Judicial Branch biography says Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Blacklock chief justice in January 2025. He first joined the court by appointment in 2018 and won elections in 2018 and 2024.
Before joining the court, Blacklock served as the governor’s general counsel and held senior positions in the Texas attorney general’s office. His earlier work included the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and private legal practice. He clerked for Fifth Circuit Judge Jerry Smith after graduating from the University of Texas and Yale Law School.
Responses are based on public data and answers to a Surround Sound Media questionnaire if they were provided.





