Who is running for Justice, 1st Court of Appeals, Place 4 (Unexpired Term) in 2026?

Justice, 1st Court of Appeals, Place 4

Governor Greg Abbott appointed David Gunn to the First Court of Appeals, Place 4, on September 3, 2024, for a term ending December 31, 2026, and he joined the court in October 2024¹². He previously spent more than two decades practicing appellate law as a partner at the Beck Redden law firm in Houston, and earlier worked as a court attorney for the Fourteenth Court of Appeals from 1987 to 1990¹. He is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for the remainder of the Place 4 term against Democrat Julie Countiss³.

• Justice, 1st Court of Appeals, Place 4, appointed September 2024; joined the court in October 2024¹²
• Partner, Beck Redden LLP (Houston), practicing appellate law for more than two decades; earlier a partner at Hogan Dubose & Townsend and Rothenberg & Gunn; argued in the Texas Supreme Court more than 30 times and in the Fifth, Tenth, and Federal Circuits¹²
• Court attorney, 14th Court of Appeals, 1987-1990¹
• Board certified in civil appellate law; fellow, American Academy of Appellate Lawyers; member, State Bar of Texas Pattern Jury Charge Committee¹
• Former city council member and Zoning Board of Adjustment member, Hilshire Village²
• B.S. in Chemical Engineering, University of Texas; M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; J.D., Baylor Law School; LL.M., University of Houston Law Center¹
• Appointed by Governor Greg Abbott (R) to the 1st Court of Appeals, Place 4, on September 3, 2024, for a term set to expire December 31, 2026². He is on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot for the unexpired portion of that term against Democratic nominee Julie Countiss³.
• Bar poll: State Bar of Texas 2026 Judicial Poll, final vote summary dated February 10, 2026, taken before the March 3, 2026 primary. This was a non-binding straw poll of State Bar members and is a preference poll only, not an endorsement. For 1st Court of Appeals, Place 4 (unexpired term): Julie Countiss 529 votes, David Gunn 446 votes⁴. 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 writing⁵.

Attorney; former Justice, 1st Court of Appeals, Place 7

Julie Countiss served on the First Court of Appeals, Place 7, from 2019 through 2024 after winning election in 2018, and lost re-election in November 2024³. Her campaign says she authored more than 300 written opinions and was named Appellate Judge of the Year in 2023 by the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists; before the bench she was an Assistant County Attorney in Harris County and a Teach for America teacher¹. She is the Democratic nominee for Place 4 (unexpired term) against Republican incumbent David Gunn².

• Justice, 1st Court of Appeals, Place 7, 2019 to 2024³
• Authored more than 300 written opinions on the merits and was named Appellate Judge of the Year, 2023, by the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists, per her campaign¹
• Assistant County Attorney, Harris County Attorney's Office, representing the county in civil litigation; earlier an attorney with The Berry Firm¹³
• Teach for America teacher, South Bronx¹
• Appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas to the Texas Children's Commission; leadership roles with the Houston Bar Association¹
• B.A. in History, Southern Methodist University, 1993; J.D., University of Houston Law Center, 2002³
• Elected to the 1st Court of Appeals, Place 7, in November 2018, defeating Republican Terry Yates 52.4% to 47.6%; ran for Chief Justice of the court in 2022 and lost to Terry Adams; lost re-election to Place 7 in November 2024 to Republican Clint Morgan, 47.5% to 52.5%³. She advanced unopposed from the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary and is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Place 4 (unexpired term)²³.
• Bar poll: State Bar of Texas 2026 Judicial Poll, final vote summary dated February 10, 2026, taken before the March 3, 2026 primary. This was a non-binding straw poll of State Bar members and is a preference poll only, not an endorsement. For 1st Court of Appeals, Place 4 (unexpired term): Julie Countiss 529 votes, David Gunn 446 votes⁴. 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 writing⁵.