Chief operating officer, Welch Law Firm (Arlington)

Paige Payne-Neal is the chief operating officer of the Arlington-based Welch Law Firm and previously worked for Arlington Mayor Jim Ross' law firm¹. She is the Republican nominee for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 7, facing incumbent Kenneth D. Sanders²¹.

• Chief operating officer, Welch Law Firm, Arlington; previously worked for Arlington Mayor Jim Ross' law firm¹
• Her campaign site says she has 20 years in family and commercial real estate and holds BBA and MBA degrees from Northwood University (the candidate's own account, not independently verified)³
• Not a sitting judge. She is the Republican nominee on the November 3, 2026 ballot, facing incumbent Kenneth D. Sanders²¹.
• Bar poll: Tarrant County Bar Association 2026 Judicial Candidate Poll (Jan 6 to Jan 29, 2026; 441 of 2,026 eligible attorney members voted, 21.8%). This is a non-binding poll of lawyers, not an endorsement by the Association. Results for Paige Payne-Neal: Strongly Recommend 13.2% (17), Recommend 4.7% (6), Neutral 3.9% (5), Not Recommend 3.1% (4), Strongly Not Recommend 3.1% (4), Skipped 72.1% (93) (percent of the voters who chose that race category, with vote counts). The poll was taken before the March 3 primary⁵⁶.