The county judge position in North Texas' four largest counties -- Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant -- are all on the ballot on Nov. 8.
Three incumbents, Collin County Judge Chris Hill (R), Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins (D), and Denton County Judge Andy Eads (R), are running for re-election, while the Tarrant County judge position is open due to the retirement of Glen Whitley (R).
In Texas, a county judge does not preside over a courtroom but is the chief executive for each county.
Dallas County
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins has won a fourth term in office. Early returns show him with a commanding lead over Republican challenger Lauren Davis with 64 percent of the vote. Jenkins delivered a victory speech on Zoom Tuesday night before heading off to the Dallas County Democratic Party's election-returns watch party.
Jenkins, a Baylor graduate who practiced law before taking office, defeated Billy Clark in the Democratic primary with 87% of the vote. Davis, who has not previously held public office, earned 68% of the vote in the Republican primary, besting Edwin Flores.
Jenkins was one of the most visible county judges in Texas at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and has overseen the county's response to Ebola and West Nile virus.
Davis and her husband opened The Gents Place, a chain of salons for men, in 2008 that has expanded to locations around the country. Her current title is Chief Culture Officer.
Tarrant County
Deborah Peoples (D) has conceded in the race for Tarrant County Judge against Tim O'Hare (R) during the early vote count. Peoples held a 47% of the vote to O'Hare's 53% as of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night.
Former Farmers Branch Mayor Tim O'Hare (R) and former Tarrant County Democratic Party Chair Deborah Peoples are vying to replace the retiring Glen Whitley (R) as Tarrant County Judge.
O'Hare defeated former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price in the primary, picking up 57% of the vote, while Peoples won the Democratic nomination with 83% of the vote.
O'Hare served as a city council member in Farmers Branch for three years before he was elected mayor. He has also served on the State Board of Dental Examiners under former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) as the chairman of the Tarrant County Civil Service Commission, a position to which he was appointed by Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn (R), according to O'Hare's campaign website.
Peoples, a former vice president at AT&T, ran against Price in the Fort Worth mayoral race in 2019 and against current Fort Worth mayor Mattie Parker in 2021.
Denton County
Incumbent Andy Eads (R) is the projected winner in the race for a second term in office for Denton County judge against challenger Fabian Thomas (D) with a 60% of the vote count as of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Incumbent Republican Andy Eads is running for his second term against Democrat Fabian Thomas.
Eads served as Denton County Commissioner for Precinct 4 before he was elected county judge in 2018. He helped lead the county through the start of the pandemic when it established one of the largest vaccination sites in North Texas at Texas Motor Speedway.
Thomas had a 31-year career with the U.S. government, according to his campaign website, including positions with the CIA, National Credit Union Administration, and the Department of Interior.
Each candidate ran unopposed in the March primary election.
Collin County
Incumbent Chris Hill (R) is the projected winner in the race for a second term in office for Collin County judge against Joshua Murray (D) with 57% of the vote count as of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Collin County Judge Chris Hill (R) is seeking his second term in office, running against Democrat Joshua Murray.
Hill received 70% of the vote in the Republican primary, while Murray narrowly defeated David Smith in the Democratic primary with 51% of the vote.
Prior to being elected county judge, Hill served as treasurer for the Collin County Republican Pary and later as a Collin County Commissioner for District 3.
Murray retired from the Army in 2015, according to his campaign website, and has worked in residential construction. He says he will invest in sustainable infrastructure, and establish competitive pay for county employees.
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