Who is running for Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4 in 2026?

Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4

Kevin Patrick Yeary has served on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals since being elected in 2014¹. He previously worked as an appellate prosecutor in Dallas, Harris and Bexar counties and as a defense attorney in private practice¹. He is the only Court of Criminal Appeals incumbent seeking reelection in 2026 and faces Democrat Audra Riley²³.

• Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, elected 2014¹
• Law clerk to Judge Bill White, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, 1991 to 1992 term¹
• Defense attorney in private practice, then appellate assistant district attorney in Dallas, Harris and Bexar counties¹
• Court liaison to the State Bar Criminal Pattern Jury Charge Committee; serves on the board of the Texas State Law Library; graduate of St. Mary's University School of Law¹
• Elected in 2014¹; unopposed in the 2026 Republican primary³.
• 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: Audra Riley 1,839 votes, Kevin Patrick Yeary 1,467⁵⁶.
• State of Texas v. Stephens (Dec. 15, 2021): filed the only dissent when the court ruled 8 to 1 that Election Code section 273.021, which allowed the Attorney General to prosecute election-law violations without a local prosecutor, is unconstitutional under the separation of powers³⁸⁹.
• Ex parte Robert Roberson (Oct. 2025): one of three judges who disagreed with the court's 6 to 3 decision to stay Roberson's scheduled execution and send his case back to the trial court for further review⁴.

Judge, Criminal District Court No. 3 (Dallas County)

Audra Riley has been judge of Criminal District Court No. 3 in Dallas County since January 2021². She is a former prosecutor in the Dallas County District Attorney's Office⁴. She is the Democratic nominee for Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4 against Republican incumbent Kevin Patrick Yeary¹³.

• Judge, Criminal District Court No. 3 (Dallas County), since January 2021, presiding over felony criminal cases; current term runs through 2028²
• Former prosecutor, Dallas County District Attorney's Office; former criminal defense attorney in private practice⁴
• JD, Thurgood Marshall School of Law²
• First elected to Criminal District Court No. 3 in 2020⁴; ran for reelection in 2024⁴⁵, and her current term runs through 2028².
• 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: Audra Riley 1,839 votes, Kevin Patrick Yeary 1,467⁶⁷.