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Brett Busby

Republican · Incumbent

Justice, Supreme Court of Texas, Place 8

Brett Busby has served on the Supreme Court of Texas since 2019, when he was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott; he was elected to a full term in 20201. He previously served on the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Houston and practiced as an appellate litigator1. He is the Republican nominee for Place 8 and faces Democrat Gisela D. Triana23.

  • Justice, Supreme Court of Texas, since 20191
  • Justice, Fourteenth Court of Appeals (Houston), 2012 to 2018; also served on the Texas Multi-District Litigation Panel14
  • Appellate litigator in private practice in Houston; adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law1
  • Law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justices Byron R. White (Ret.) and John Paul Stevens and to Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat of the Eleventh Circuit; board certified in civil appellate law1
  • Appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2019 and confirmed unanimously by the Texas Senate; elected to a full term in 20201.
  • Bar poll: State Bar of Texas 2026 Judicial Poll, final vote summary dated February 10, 2026. This was a non-binding straw poll of State Bar members on contested races, taken before the March 3 primary; the Bar describes it as a preference poll only, not an endorsement. Results: Gisela D. Triana 1,989 votes, Brett Busby 1,91356.
  • State of Texas v. Loe (June 28, 2024): joined the 8 to 1 majority opinion by Justice Huddle, which concluded that the challengers had not shown that the 2023 state law (SB 14) prohibiting certain gender-transition medical treatments for minors violates the Texas Constitution, and reversed and vacated a temporary injunction against it; also filed a separate concurring opinion8.
  • State of Texas v. Zurawski (May 31, 2024): joined the unanimous opinion by Justice Bland, which vacated a trial-court temporary injunction and held that the medical exception in the state's abortion laws allows an abortion when a physician, using reasonable medical judgment, concludes a pregnant woman has a life-threatening physical condition that poses a risk of death or serious physical impairment; also wrote a concurring opinion, joined by Justice Lehrmann910.

Last reviewed 2026-09-26. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.

Sources

  1. Justice Brett Busby (official biography)Texas Judicial Branch (txcourts.gov)
  2. Candidate Information: 2026 November General Election, qualified candidates (queried 2026-09-26)Texas Secretary of State
  3. For Texas' highest courts, two Democratic races decided, one GOP race goes to runoff (The Texas Tribune, republished)KERA News
  4. Texas Supreme Court primaries: Who is running and what to know (The Texas Tribune, republished)KPRC Click2Houston
  5. State Bar of Texas 2026 Judicial Poll, Final Vote Summary, February 10, 2026State Bar of Texas
  6. State Bar of Texas Judicial Poll (non-partisan straw poll of State Bar members; preference poll only, not an endorsement)State Bar of Texas
  7. Public Sanctions, Issued FY 2002 through FY 2026State Commission on Judicial Conduct
  8. State of Texas v. Loe, No. 23-0697, opinion of the Court (June 28, 2024)Supreme Court of Texas
  9. State of Texas v. Zurawski, No. 23-0629, opinion of the Court (May 31, 2024)Supreme Court of Texas
  10. Texas Supreme Court rejects challenge brought by 20 women denied abortions, upholds banAustin American-Statesman