Who is running for Justice, 1st Court of Appeals, Place 3 in 2026?

Private citizen (family law attorney, Houston)

Todd Frankfort is a Houston family law attorney with more than 30 years of legal experience who is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization¹. He won the Republican nomination for Place 3 on the First Court of Appeals in a May 26, 2026 runoff and faces incumbent Justice Veronica Rivas-Molloy²³. He was the Republican nominee for the 308th District Court in 2022 and lost to Gloria Lopez².

• Private practice attorney focused on family law, including marital property, divorce and custody litigation, and child support enforcement; earlier practice in real estate and commercial litigation¹
• Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization; has represented clients in family law appeals¹
• JD, South Texas College of Law, 1994; BA in American Studies, University of Texas at Austin, 1990¹
• No prior judicial office found in the sources reviewed
• Frankfort placed first in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary with 43.1% in a four-candidate field and won the May 26, 2026 runoff over Zachary Gibson with 57.2%². He ran for the 308th District Court in 2022 and lost the general election to Gloria Lopez, 48.0% to 52.0%². He has not previously held judicial office.

Justice, First Court of Appeals, Place 3

Veronica Rivas-Molloy has served as Justice, Place 3, on the First Court of Appeals since January 2021¹². Before becoming a judge she spent 20 years as a litigator and appellate attorney, including at Baker Botts and Jones Walker, and clerked for U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr.¹. She is seeking reelection against Republican nominee Todd Frankfort²⁴.

• Justice, First Court of Appeals, Place 3, since January 2021; has authored opinions in civil, criminal, probate, and family law appeals¹
• 20 years as a litigator and appellate attorney at Baker Botts and Jones Walker, focusing on business litigation; clerked for U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr., Southern District of Texas; volunteer prosecutor for the City of Houston; pro bono representation in immigration proceedings¹
• JD magna cum laude, University of Houston Law Center (Order of the Coif, Houston Law Review); BA (double major, Criminal Justice and Spanish), University of Texas at El Paso¹
• Elected to the First Court of Appeals, Place 3, in November 2020, defeating Republican incumbent Russell Lloyd 50.8% to 49.2%; took office January 1, 2021²³. She was unopposed in the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary².