Kristen Hawkins, a Democrat, is running for Texas Supreme Court Justice Place 7 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Republican incumbent Kyle Hawkins, who was appointed to the court in October 2025, according to his official biography..
Asked why she is running, Hawkins said in our Candidate questionnaire: "The governor has appointed seven of the nine current Supreme Court justices, and I am running give the voters an opportunity to elect a qualified, competent candidate with a decade of judicial experience."
She added: "I would bring an independent voice to the Supreme Court."
Candidate information
Party: "Democrat"
Family: "My husband and I are native Texans and are the proud parents of two college-age children."
Education: "University of Texas at Austin - BA … South Texas College of Law - JD, magna cum laude"
Hawkins also holds a high school diploma from Alief Hastings High School, according to BallotReady profile data.
Experience and public service
Asked about her work history, Hawkins said in our questionnaire: "I have served as judge of the 11th District Court for nine years. Before that, I was appointed and served as one of the Harris County tax masters for five years. Prior to the bench, I practiced general civil litigation and represented individuals applying for Social Security disability. I am board certified in personal-injury law, civil-trial law, and judicial administration."
She continued: "As a trial-court judge, I have presided over more than 200 trials, and I make rulings applying Supreme Court decisions … I have also been appointed by a statewide panel to preside over complex multi-district litigation cases."
Asked about previous elected office, Hawkins said: "I am the judge of the 11th District Court, Harris County, Texas. I was first elected in 2016 and was reelected in 2020 and 2024."
On the issues
Judicial philosophy: Hawkins said: "My judicial philosophy is simple: to apply the law equally to everyone who appears before me, and to ensure that juries and their verdicts are respected."
She added: "I consider myself a pragmatist who respects the law and stare decisis and believes consistency and predictability in the law is paramount."
Partisan judicial elections: Asked whether she supports Texas's system of electing judges in partisan elections, Hawkins said: "I do not support changing to an appointment system because an appointment system benefits political insiders and places too much power in a single individual or party."
Access to justice: Asked what she would do to improve Texans' access to civil courts, Hawkins said the court "should select cases that are important to all Texans, not just the well-resourced" and "can adopt rules that streamline access to justice for those who are under-resourced or without adequate representation, including pro-se litigants."
Campaign contributions: Hawkins said: "Throughout my time on the trial-court bench, I have based my decisions on the facts and the law and not on politics or on campaign contributions."
Endorsements
The following endorsements were claimed by the endorsers, according to BallotReady profile data:
- Liberal Austin Democrats
- Houston GLBT Political Caucus
- Texas AFL-CIO
- Bexar County Young Democrats
Candidate responses were collected through a Surround Sound News questionnaire for the Murphy-Wylie-Sachse Courier. Questionnaire quotations are excerpted without changing the candidate’s wording.
