Who is running for Judge, County Criminal Court at Law No. 4 (Harris County, Texas) in 2026?

Criminal defense attorney

Rebecca Philips Aceto is a former Harris County prosecutor now working as a criminal defense attorney¹. She is the Republican nominee for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 4 against incumbent Democrat Shannon Baldwin²³.

• Former Harris County prosecutor; current criminal defense attorney¹
• 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 Shannon Baldwin²³.
• 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. 4

Shannon Baldwin has served as judge of Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 4 since January 1, 2019¹. She is a U.S. Army Reserve veteran (1987-1995) who earned a bachelor's degree from Sam Houston State University and a law degree from John Marshall Law School, and has been an adjunct professor at Thurgood Marshall School of Law and Alvin Community College¹. She is seeking re-election against Republican nominee Rebecca Philips Aceto¹².

• Judge, Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 4, since January 1, 2019¹
• U.S. Army Reserve, 1987-1995¹
• Adjunct professor, Thurgood Marshall School of Law and Alvin Community College Paralegal Studies Program¹
• B.A., Sam Houston State University, 1992; J.D., John Marshall Law School, 1995¹
• Elected in November 2018, defeating incumbent Republican John Clinton 56.5% to 43.5%; re-elected in November 2022, defeating Republican Zachary Gibson 50.7% to 49.3%¹. She advanced unopposed from the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary and is running for a third term in November 2026¹².
• 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 writing³.