It's very difficult for a case to reach the Supreme Court. So for most Texans who appeal — a custody ruling, a lawsuit, a conviction — the Court of Appeals is the last court that will ever hear it. Texas has 14 of these courts, each covering a share of the 254 counties, and Hays County's cases go to the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin. The Chief Justice runs that court — and this year the seat is on your ballot.
The Democratic candidate
Darlene Byrne
DemocratAbout Darlene
For 17 years Byrne personally handled every foster-care case in Travis County — every child, every hearing — and built a court that the rest of the country came to study. Now she runs the appeals court that hears Hays County's cases, and she wants to keep running it.
She spent 20 years as a district judge in Austin, founded the county's family drug-treatment court and a docket for kids caught between foster care and juvenile justice, and was named Judge of the Year by CASA — nationally and in Texas. Elected to the 3rd Court of Appeals in 2020, she's now its Chief Justice, and under her the court became all-women for the first time in its history. Her opponent, Cory Liu, was appointed to a district court by Abbott last December and has never won an election. When the State Bar polled the lawyers who practice in front of this court, they picked her almost four to one.
Also on the ballot
Every candidate who filed for this office appears here. Tap a name to read more.
Cory LiuAbout Cory
Liu argued at the U.S. Supreme Court for the group that ended affirmative action in college admissions — and now wants to run the appeals court that hears Hays County's cases.
He's a sitting district judge in Travis County, an Austin native who went to the University of Chicago and Harvard Law. His campaign describes "key roles serving Texas leaders" and First Amendment work without naming the leaders or the cases.
Where to vote
Hays County uses vote centers — any registered Hays County voter can vote at any open location in the county. Locations and hours by city: