Who is running for Judge, County Criminal Court at Law No. 13 in 2026?

Judge, Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 13

Raul Rodriguez has been judge of Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 13 since January 1, 2019, and was re-elected in 2022¹. He has been licensed in Texas since January 1992 and practiced as a criminal defense attorney and mediator; in 2005 Mayor Bill White appointed him an Associate Judge of the City of Houston Municipal Courts²³. He is running for re-election against Republican Amber Cox¹.

• Judge, Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 13, since January 1, 2019¹³
• Associate Judge, City of Houston Municipal Courts, appointed by Mayor Bill White in 2005 and still serving in 2016²
• Criminal defense attorney in felony and misdemeanor cases and a mediator for family and civil district courts, as he described in 2016²
• J.D., South Texas College of Law, December 1991; licensed in Texas since January 17, 1992²³
• Rodriguez lost the 2016 Democratic primary for the 174th District Court¹². He defeated Republican Jessica Padilla in the November 6, 2018 general election for County Criminal Court at Law No. 13, took office January 1, 2019, and was re-elected in November 2022 over Republican Lance Long¹. He advanced unopposed from the 2026 Democratic primary and faces Republican Amber Cox on November 3, 2026¹.
• 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.

Assistant District Attorney, Harris County District Attorney's Office

Amber Cox is an attorney with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, licensed in Texas since 2004². She has not previously held judicial office; she was the Republican nominee for the 263rd District Court in 2022 and lost with 48.5 percent of the vote¹. She is the Republican nominee for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 13 against incumbent Democrat Raul Rodriguez¹.

• Attorney, Harris County District Attorney's Office²
• J.D., South Texas College of Law, 2004; licensed in Texas since December 2004²
• Cox has not previously held judicial office. She was the Republican nominee for the 263rd District Court in 2022 and lost to Democrat Melissa Morris, 48.5 percent to 51.5 percent¹. She advanced unopposed from the Republican primary for County Criminal Court at Law No. 13 on March 3, 2026, and faces incumbent Democrat Raul Rodriguez on November 3, 2026¹.
• 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.