Judge, 55th Civil District Court, Harris County

Latosha Lewis Payne has been judge of the 55th Civil District Court of Harris County since January 2019¹². Her fellow Harris County state district judges elected her Local Administrative Judge for two consecutive two-year terms, the second beginning January 1, 2024³. She is seeking reelection against Republican nominee Nile Copeland, whom she defeated in 2022¹⁶.

• Judge, 55th Civil District Court, Harris County, since January 1, 2019¹²
• Local Administrative Judge for the Harris County State District Courts for two consecutive terms, re-elected unanimously by the district judges in December 2023 for a term starting January 1, 2024³; in a 2022 interview she described herself as the first African American woman to hold that role⁴
• Before the bench, a civil trial lawyer who said in her 2018 campaign Q&A that she had tried personal injury and breach of contract cases to jury verdict in Harris County courts⁵
• University of Texas School of Law graduate⁴⁵
• Elected in November 2018, defeating Republican incumbent Jeff Shadwick 54.8% to 45.2%, and took office January 1, 2019¹. Reelected in 2022 over Nile Copeland, 51.2% to 48.8%¹. Unopposed in the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary¹.