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

Assistant District Attorney, Liberty County

Anna Emmons is a prosecutor who has served as an Assistant District Attorney in Harris and Montgomery counties and currently in Liberty County¹. She is the Republican nominee for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 12 against incumbent Democrat Ashley Mayes Guice²³.

• Assistant District Attorney, currently in Liberty County; previously an Assistant District Attorney in Harris County and Montgomery County¹
• No prior judicial service found in the sources reviewed¹²
• Advanced unopposed from the Republican primary on March 3, 2026, and is on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot against incumbent Democrat Ashley Mayes Guice²³.
• Bar poll: The Houston Bar Association's 2026 Judicial Preference Poll, a non-binding poll of HBA members on contested judicial races that the HBA says is not an endorsement, was open as of September 27, 2026, with results due October 9, 2026; no results were published as of this writing⁴.

Judge, Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 12

Ashley Mayes Guice was appointed by the Harris County Commissioners Court on June 26, 2025, to Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 12, replacing Genesis Draper, who left the bench to lead the Harris County Public Defender's Office¹². Since graduating from law school in 2011 she has worked as a criminal defense attorney, an assistant public defender, a prosecutor and misdemeanor division chief in the Harris County District Attorney's Office, and staff attorney for the county courts at law; she became Presiding Judge of the county criminal courts in January 2026³. She is seeking election to a full term against Republican nominee Anna Emmons¹⁴.

• Judge, Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 12, since July 7, 2025, by appointment of the Commissioners Court¹
• Presiding Judge, Harris County Criminal Courts at Law, from January 1, 2026³
• Judge, Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 3, by 2022 appointment, serving the 11 months left in that term³
• Criminal defense attorney; assistant public defender, Harris County Public Defender's Office; prosecutor and later misdemeanor division chief, Harris County District Attorney's Office; staff attorney for the Harris County Courts at Law³
• Bachelor's degree, Tulane University; law degree, Louisiana State University (2011)³
• Appointed by the Harris County Commissioners Court on June 26, 2025, to replace Genesis Draper, and took office July 7, 2025¹. She advanced unopposed from the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary and is on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot against Republican Anna Emmons¹⁴.
• Bar poll: The Houston Bar Association's 2026 Judicial Preference Poll, a non-binding poll of HBA members on contested judicial races that the HBA says is not an endorsement, was open as of September 27, 2026, with results due October 9, 2026; no results were published as of this writing⁵.