Kevin Patrick Yeary is the Republican candidate for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4, in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Democrat Audra LaDawn Riley is his opponent on the Texas secretary of state’s certified ballot.
Experience and judicial philosophy
According to his official court biography, Yeary was elected to the court in 2014. He clerked for Judge Bill White during the 1991–92 term and later worked as a defense attorney and appellate prosecutor in Dallas, Harris and Bexar counties. He is a graduate of St. Mary’s University School of Law and serves on the Texas State Law Library board.
On his campaign website, Yeary advocates judicial restraint, independence and humility. He says decisions should follow statutes and constitutions, and that policy changes belong to the legislative and executive branches rather than the courts.
Responses are based on public data and answers to a Surround Sound Media questionnaire if they were provided.
