Justice, Third Court of Appeals (Austin)

Chari L. Kelly has served on the Third Court of Appeals in Austin since January 1, 2019¹. She is a former felony prosecutor, assistant attorney general, and U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps captain¹. She is the Democratic nominee for Supreme Court Place 2 (unexpired term) against Republican incumbent James P. Sullivan²³.

• Justice, Third Court of Appeals, since January 1, 2019¹
• Felony prosecutor in Travis and Comal counties; Assistant Attorney General, Civil Medicaid Fraud Division, Texas Attorney General's Office¹
• Former staff attorney, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals⁴
• Former paratrooper and captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, serving as a defense attorney at Fort Hood and Joint Base San Antonio¹⁴
• Board certified in judicial administration and criminal law; JD, University of Texas School of Law; longtime adjunct professor in Texas Law's advocacy program¹
• Elected to the Third Court of Appeals and took office January 1, 2019¹.
• 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: Chari Kelly 2,112 votes, James P. Sullivan 1,508⁵⁶.