Republican Scott Brister faces Democrat Jerry Zimmerer for chief justice of Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals in the Nov. 3, 2026, election, according to the state’s certified ballot.
Judicial experience
Brister became the court’s first chief justice effective Sept. 1, 2024. His official judicial biography lists service on the Texas Supreme Court from 2003 to 2009, Houston’s First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals from 2001 to 2003, and Harris County’s 234th District Court from 1989 to 2000.
He earned degrees from Duke University and Harvard Law School and holds board certifications in civil appellate, civil trial and personal injury trial law.
Judicial approach
His campaign website emphasizes impartiality, applying written law and issuing clear decisions. These are statements of judicial philosophy rather than commitments to particular outcomes.
No separate, detailed campaign spending proposal or implementation timetable was verified in the reviewed materials.
What the court does
The 15th Court of Appeals has statewide jurisdiction over specified civil appeals involving state government and appeals from the Texas Business Court, subject to statutory limits and exceptions. It is not a general criminal appeals court.
Its decisions can affect businesses, public agencies and residents involved in those disputes. The chief justice leads the court but does not decide every case alone or possess legislative authority to enact taxes and spending programs.
This profile draws on the certified ballot, official court biography and Brister’s campaign materials. It omits unverified endorsements and avoids mixing differing counts of trials from separate sources.
The Murphy-Wylie-Sachse Courier did not receive a direct questionnaire response from the candidate and does not endorse candidates.
