Katy family law attorney Joe Radler is running for the 311th District Court bench in Harris County in the Nov. 3 general election. He will face Democrat Germaine J. Tanner. The family court serves residents across the county, including the Spring area.
Radler, a Republican, ran unopposed in the March 3 primary, receiving 147,810 votes, according to Ballotpedia. This would be his first elected office.
"I'm running for Family District Court specifically because I believe families are the foundation of our society," Radler said in a questionnaire response to Surround Sound News. He added that he hopes to join like-minded colleagues on the bench and make a positive difference for families case by case.
He said he wants to join others working to re-establish accountability, constitutional rights and the rule of law as the basis of government.
Candidate information
- Party: Republican
- Office sought: Texas 311th District Court Judge (Harris County family court)
- Election date: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
- Education: Bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, from Florida Atlantic University; law degree, University of Houston Law Center
- Law practice: Katy, Texas
- Family: Radler said he helped raise five grown children. He said his father, who worked as a firefighter and then a fire inspector, has been a great influence on his life.
Experience and public service
Radler has more than a decade of experience in Texas family law, handling custody, support and divorce cases in Harris County, according to his law firm's website. He founded The Radler Law Firm and also practices through S.O.S. Legal Aid, which he described in his questionnaire as his 501(c)(3) nonprofit.x
He is licensed to practice law in Texas and is a member of the Texas Family Law Foundation, according to his law firm's website.
Before becoming an attorney, Radler said he worked blue-collar jobs and operated a small business. He said no one in his family has worked in politics, though his father served more than 20 years as a firefighter in South Florida before a second career as a fire inspector.
On the issues
Judicial philosophy and court management
Radler said his priorities on the bench would include consistency in applying the law, with rulings grounded in statute, precedent and evidence. He said he would focus on efficient case management, keeping hearings on schedule and setting clear expectations for attorneys and litigants.
He said his approach would help attorneys predict outcomes for their clients, which he said would increase the rate of efficiently managed cases and reduce the cost and stress of litigation for everyone involved, including taxpayers.
Role of a judge
Radler said a judge's job is not political in nature. He said he would adjudicate cases fairly without regard to a party's political or ideological leanings, guided by the law and the facts, with the standard of putting children's best interests first.
Qualifications
Radler pointed to his experience litigating family law cases from start to finish at trial and, in some cases, on appeal, saying the experience gave him a deep respect for the Texas Family Code and an understanding of the importance of a strong judiciary that follows the law without bias.
