Who is running for Judge, County Probate Court No. 1 in 2026?

Attorney; former Judge, Harris County Probate Court No. 1

Loyd Wright served as judge of Harris County Probate Court No. 1 from 2010 through 2018, losing re-election to Jerry Simoneaux in 2018 and losing to him again in 2022¹. He earned a B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Houston (1977), an M.B.A. in accounting from the University of Texas (1980), and a J.D. from the University of Houston (1981), and practiced probate and estate planning law before taking the bench¹. He is the Republican nominee in a third matchup against incumbent Democrat Jerry Simoneaux¹².

• Judge, Harris County Probate Court No. 1, 2010 to 2018¹
• Probate and estate planning attorney, 1987 to 2010, including his own practice from 1991 to 2010 and Haynes and Boone, LLP, 1990 to 1991¹
• Attorney, Frank, Elmore, Lievens, Chesney & Turet, 1983 to 1987; tax accountant, KPMG, 1981 to 1982¹
• B.B.A. in Accounting, University of Houston, 1977; M.B.A. in Accounting, University of Texas, 1980; J.D., University of Houston, 1981¹
• Won the Probate Court No. 1 seat with 54.3% against Kathleen S. Stone, was re-elected in 2014 with 55.2% against Kim Bohannon Hoesl, then lost to Democrat Jerry Simoneaux in November 2018 (45.2% to 54.8%) and again in November 2022 (49.0% to 51.0%)¹. He advanced unopposed from the March 3, 2026 Republican primary and is on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot¹².
• 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.

Judge, Harris County Probate Court No. 1

Jerry Simoneaux has served as judge of Harris County Probate Court No. 1 since January 1, 2019¹. He earned a B.A. in French and a B.B.A. in management from the University of Houston in 1997 and a J.D. from South Texas College of Law in 2001, and worked as a probate trial attorney, staff attorney for the same court, and an associate judge of the Houston Municipal Court before taking the bench¹. He is seeking re-election against Republican nominee Loyd Wright, whom he defeated in 2018 and 2022¹².

• Judge, Harris County Probate Court No. 1, since January 1, 2019¹
• Associate Judge, Houston Municipal Court District¹
• Attorney and certified mediator, Simoneaux & Watson, P.C.¹
• Probate trial attorney, Galligan & Manning, 2010-2014¹
• Staff attorney, Harris County Probate Court No. 1, 2009-2010¹
• Senior managing partner, Simoneaux and Frye, PLLC, 2004-2008¹
• Adjunct professor of law, South Texas College of Law, 2006-2007¹
• Attorney, The Simoneaux Law Firm, 2001-2004¹
• B.A. (French) and B.B.A. (Management), University of Houston, 1997; J.D., South Texas College of Law, 2001¹
• Elected in November 2018, defeating incumbent Republican Loyd Wright 54.8% to 45.2%; re-elected in November 2022, again defeating Wright, 51.0% to 49.0%¹. He is running for a third term in November 2026 against Wright¹².
• 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.