Who is running for Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9 in 2026?

Assistant State Prosecuting Attorney, Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney

John Messinger is an assistant state prosecuting attorney who has worked in the Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney since 2011⁴⁵. He won the Republican primary for Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9 over Dallas County Judge Jennifer Balido³. He faces Democrat Holly Taylor for the seat held by Judge David Newell, who is not seeking reelection¹⁵.

• Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney since 2011, representing the state before the Court of Criminal Appeals and intermediate appellate courts⁴⁵
• Earlier in the McLennan County District Attorney's Office, handling direct appeals, protective orders and other civil matters⁴⁵
• Has filed more than 100 petitions for discretionary review with the Court of Criminal Appeals; chairs the State Bar's Pattern Jury Charges, Criminal Committee²⁴
• Graduate of Baylor Law School⁴
• Not a sitting judge; seeking an open seat. He ran for the Third Court of Appeals, Place 2 in 2024 and narrowly lost the general election⁵.
• 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: Holly Taylor 1,529 votes, Jennifer Balido 951, John Messinger 799 (Balido lost the Republican primary)⁶⁷.

Criminal appellate attorney; former director, Public Integrity and Complex Crimes Division, Travis County District Attorney's Office

Holly Taylor is a criminal appellate attorney and former director of the Public Integrity and Complex Crimes Division of the Travis County District Attorney's Office²⁵. She previously worked as a staff attorney and rules attorney at the Court of Criminal Appeals²⁴⁵. She is the Democratic nominee for Place 9 against Republican John Messinger¹³.

• Principal attorney in her own practice handling criminal and civil appeals⁴⁵
• Travis County District Attorney's Office: Director, Public Integrity and Complex Crimes Division; earlier Assistant Director for Post-Conviction Matters and Complex Litigation Support, leader of the Appeals Team, and attorney in the Public Integrity Unit; more than 17 years as a prosecutor according to her campaign⁴⁵
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: staff attorney and Rules Attorney²⁴⁵
• Board certified in criminal appellate law; law degree and Master of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin; BA, Rice University²⁴
• Not a sitting judge; seeking an open seat. She was the Democratic nominee for Presiding Judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals in 2024 and lost the general election⁵.
• 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: Holly Taylor 1,529 votes, Jennifer Balido 951, John Messinger 799 (Balido lost the Republican primary)⁶⁷.