Who is running for Judge, County Probate Court No. 2 in 2026?

Judge, Harris County Probate Court No. 2

Pamela Medina has been judge of Harris County Probate Court No. 2 since January 1, 2023, after defeating the incumbent in the 2022 Democratic primary and winning the general election¹. Before taking the bench she practiced trusts and estates law³⁵. She is running for re-election against Republican Paul Shanklin¹.

• Judge, Harris County Probate Court No. 2, since January 1, 2023, presiding over decedents' estates, wills, heirship determinations, guardianships and trust matters¹²
• Practiced trusts and estates law before taking the bench³⁵
• J.D., Texas Southern University; licensed in Texas since November 2007⁵
• Medina defeated incumbent Judge Michael Newman in the March 2022 Democratic primary and Republican Sophia Mafrige in the November 2022 general election, taking office January 1, 2023¹. She advanced unopposed from the 2026 Democratic primary and faces Republican Paul Shanklin 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.

Attorney; Secretary, Aldine ISD Board of Trustees

Paul Shanklin is a Houston attorney, licensed in Texas since 1993, who is a senior attorney at Baker-Wotring, LLC with a practice that includes personal injury, business, family law and probate matters¹⁵. He has served on the Aldine Independent School District Board of Trustees since 2014 and is its secretary¹². He has not previously held judicial office. He is the Republican nominee for Harris County Probate Court No. 2 against incumbent Democrat Pamela Medina³.

• Senior Attorney, Baker-Wotring, LLC; practice includes personal injury litigation, general business matters, family law and probate¹
• Certified Ad Litem for the Family and Probate Courts of Harris County; certified by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy¹
• Government affairs director for Harris County Commissioner Jack Cagle for 10 years; commissioner on the board of the Harris County Housing Authority¹
• Aldine ISD Board of Trustees, Position 2, since 2014, currently Secretary; re-elected November 2023¹²
• J.D., University of Houston, 1992; licensed in Texas since May 1993⁵
• Shanklin has not previously held judicial office. He advanced unopposed from the Republican primary for Harris County Probate Court No. 2 on March 3, 2026, and faces incumbent Democrat Pamela Medina in the November 3, 2026 general election³.
• 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.