Democrat Chari Kelly is challenging Republican incumbent James Sullivan for Texas Supreme Court Place 2 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The statewide race will appear on every Texas ballot, including for Fort Bend and Harris County voters.
Kelly, a justice on the 3rd Court of Appeals, said her nearly eight years of appellate experience and courtroom background would bring a valuable perspective to the state's highest civil court.
"Texans deserve an independent judiciary that applies the law consistently and fairly," Kelly said in a candidate questionnaire.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Residence: Austin
- Family: Lives with husband Adam Schramek, a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, and their 3-year-old child
- Education: Bachelor's degree in political science, University of Florida, 1999 (with high honors); law degree, University of Texas School of Law, 2002; board certified in criminal law (2016) and judicial administration (2025) by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
- Endorsements: Emily's List, AFL-CIO, Travis County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Association, Hispanic Bar Association of Austin, Austin Black Lawyers Association, Mexican American Bar Association of Houston and others
Experience and public service
Kelly has served on the 3rd Court of Appeals since January 2019, according to Texas Judges. She was elected in 2018 and reelected in 2024. She has authored more than 800 appellate opinions.
Kelly clerked at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 2002, then served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps from 2003 to 2007, rising to captain, according to Ballotpedia. She was a defense attorney at Fort Hood and in San Antonio, a paratrooper and a recipient of the U.S. Army Meritorious Service Medal.
After the Army, Kelly returned to the Court of Criminal Appeals as a research attorney from 2007 to 2008. She then served as an assistant attorney general from 2008 to 2013, an assistant district attorney in Comal County from 2013 to 2015 and in Travis County from 2015 to 2018. She has tried more than 35 cases before juries as a Judge Advocate General's Corps officer and prosecutor.
She has taught trial procedures at the University of Texas School of Law for nearly 20 years. Kelly served as president of the Austin Bar Association from 2023 to 2024 and chair of the Austin Bar Foundation from 2024 to 2025.
Her awards include the Travis County Women Lawyers' Association Pathfinders Award (2023), the Outstanding Mentor of Texas award from the Texas Young Lawyers Association (2023) and the Outstanding DWI Prosecutor of the Year in Travis County from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (2018).
On the issues
Judicial independence: On her campaign website, Kelly said the Texas Supreme Court "has become a rubber stamp for the executive branch and has failed to live up to its purpose of independently interpreting the law." Kelly said Texans deserve a court that holds everyone accountable, including those in power.
Judicial philosophy: In a candidate questionnaire for Texas Judges, Kelly said her approach is "grounded in fairness, independence, respect for the Constitution, fidelity to the law, careful attention to the record, and clear writing." She said she decides cases based on the law, the record and the arguments presented, not politics or personal preference.
Record
Kelly said she has a record of independence on the bench, including rulings that the attorney general was not above the law and that the governor did not have unlimited authority under the Disaster Act. As an assistant attorney general, she said she helped secure a $19.9 million Medicaid fraud settlement for Texas taxpayers.
Criminal justice: Kelly listed ensuring fair trials and upholding justice as priorities.
Differences from Sullivan: Kelly said she has been a lawyer longer and an appellate judge much longer than Sullivan. She is in her eighth year on the bench. Kelly said Sullivan is in his second year on the Texas Supreme Court after being appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott in January 2025. She said she is one of only 19 Texas judges board certified in judicial administration.
