Who is running for Civil District Judge, 157th District Court in 2026?

Judge, 157th Civil District Court, Harris County

Tanya N. Garrison has been judge of the 157th Civil District Court in Harris County since January 1, 2019, after defeating the Republican incumbent in 2018; she was re-elected in 2022¹². Before taking office she practiced civil litigation with an emphasis on appellate law at Weycer, Kaplan, Pulaski & Zuber, P.C.¹. She is board certified in Civil Appellate Law and is running for re-election against Republican Gerald Fowler¹².

• Judge, 157th Civil District Court, Harris County, since January 1, 2019¹²
• Attorney at Weycer, Kaplan, Pulaski & Zuber, P.C., practicing civil litigation with an emphasis on appellate law, from law school until her 2018 election¹
• Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization; member of the American Board of Trial Advocates¹
• Named Trial Judge of the Year by the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists in 2021¹
• B.A., Oklahoma State University, 1997; J.D. with honors, University of Houston Law Center, 2000; licensed in Texas since November 2000¹⁴
• Garrison defeated incumbent Republican Randy Wilson in the November 6, 2018 general election, took office January 1, 2019, and was re-elected in November 2022 over Republican Sonya Aston². She won the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary over Whitney Moore and faces Republican Gerald Fowler in the November 3, 2026 general election².
• Bar poll: The Houston Bar Association's Judicial Preference Poll is a non-binding survey of HBA members' preferences, and the HBA states it is not an endorsement. The 2026 poll was open as of September 27, 2026, closes October 2, 2026, and results are due October 9, 2026; no results had been published as of this writing³.

Attorney, McGowen & Fowler, PLLC, Houston

Gerald Fowler is a Houston attorney with McGowen & Fowler, PLLC, licensed in Texas since 1998, whose listed practice areas include appellate, intellectual property and commercial litigation¹. He has not previously held judicial office. He is the Republican nominee for the 157th District Court against incumbent Democrat Tanya Garrison².

• Attorney, McGowen & Fowler, PLLC, Houston; practice areas listed with the State Bar include civil appellate, intellectual property and commercial litigation¹
• J.D., University of Houston, 1997; licensed in Texas since September 1998¹
• Fowler has not previously held judicial office. He won the Republican primary for the 157th District Court unopposed on March 3, 2026, and faces incumbent Democrat Tanya Garrison in the November 3, 2026 general election²³.
• Bar poll: The Houston Bar Association's Judicial Preference Poll is a non-binding survey of HBA members' preferences, and the HBA states it is not an endorsement. The 2026 poll was open as of September 27, 2026, closes October 2, 2026, and results are due October 9, 2026; no results had been published as of this writing⁴.