Harris County District Court Judge Kristen Hawkins is running as a Democrat for Texas Supreme Court Justice Place 7 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Republican Kyle Hawkins.

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

Education: Hawkins said in our questionnaire: "University of Texas at Austin - BA … South Texas College of Law - JD, magna cum laude"

Family: Hawkins said in our questionnaire: "My husband and I are native Texans and are the proud parents of two college-age children."

Family in politics or government: Hawkins said in our questionnaire: "No."

Experience and public service

Asked about her occupation and 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. As a trial-court judge, I have presided over more than 200 trials, and I make rulings applying Supreme Court decisions."

Asked about previous elected or appointed offices, 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."

Hawkins became the first woman elected to the 11th District Court in Harris County in 2016, according to the Austin Chronicle.

On the issues

Critical differences from other candidates: Hawkins said in our questionnaire: "I give the voters an opportunity to elect a qualified, competent candidate with a decade of judicial experience. … That experience has given me a perspective regarding the importance of our jury system that my opponent does not have. I offer the voters of the State of Texas an opportunity to make a positive change to a Supreme Court in which seven of the nine justices have been selected and appointed by the governor."

Judicial philosophy: Hawkins said in our questionnaire: "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. … I consider myself a pragmatist who respects the law and stare decisis and believes consistency and predictability in the law is paramount."

Partisan elections for judges: Hawkins said in our questionnaire: "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. With elections, Texans have an opportunity to have their voices heard. One of the weaknesses of elections, however, is that it is expensive and difficult for state-wide judicial candidates to reach voters so that voters are adequately informed about the candidates."

Access to civil courts: Hawkins said in our questionnaire: "To ensure that everyone has access to justice, the Court should select cases that are important to all Texans, not just the well-resourced."

Campaign contributions: Hawkins said in our questionnaire: "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. If elected to the Supreme Court, that would not change."