Attorney in private practice, Houston; associate municipal judge, City of Houston

Nile Copeland is a Houston attorney whose practice covers business, real estate, and immigration matters, and who has served as an associate municipal judge for the City of Houston¹². He has run for Harris County office several times, including a 2022 race against Latosha Lewis Payne for the 55th District Court². He is the Republican nominee challenging Payne again in 2026²³.

• Attorney in private practice; practice areas listed as business, real estate, and immigration; licensed in Texas since 2002¹
• Associate municipal judge for the City of Houston; partner at Cheng Copeland, PLLC; certified arbitrator and mediator; licensed Texas realtor¹²
• JD, South Texas College of Law, 1999; bachelor's and master's degrees, Louisiana State University²
• Copeland has not held elected judicial office. He lost general elections for the 127th District Court in 2020 (45.6%), the 55th District Court in 2022 (48.8%, against Payne), and the 11th District Court in 2024 (48.3%); in 2018 he ran in the Democratic primary for Harris County Treasurer and finished third². He was unopposed in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary for the 55th District Court².