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