Who is running for Civil District Judge, 55th District Court in 2026?

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.

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.