Who is running for Judge, County Court At Law No. 12 in 2026?

Public defender

Deborah Dietzmann is a public defender who began her career as a Bexar County assistant district attorney and has practiced law for more than 25 years¹. She is the Republican nominee for County Court at Law No. 12, which became an open contest when Judge Yolanda Huff lost the Democratic primary¹².

• Practiced law for about 25 years, starting as an assistant district attorney in Bexar County and later in private practice with significant pro bono work¹
• Currently serves as a public defender¹
• Not a sitting judge. She is the Republican nominee; the incumbent, Judge Yolanda Huff, lost the March 2026 Democratic primary to Lauren Zamora².

Assistant district attorney, Conviction Integrity Unit (Bexar County)

Lauren Zamora works in the Conviction Integrity Unit of the Bexar County District Attorney's Office, and earlier was an assistant public defender and a private criminal defense and family law attorney¹. She defeated incumbent Judge Yolanda Huff in the Democratic primary with 63 percent of the vote².

• Assistant district attorney in the Bexar County District Attorney's Office since 2019, now in the Conviction Integrity Unit, which reviews final convictions for possible wrongful convictions¹
• Assistant public defender in Laredo, then 13 years in private practice in juvenile and adult criminal defense, family law and child welfare law¹
• Not a sitting judge. She defeated the incumbent, Judge Yolanda Huff, in the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary².