Who is running for Justice of the Peace Precinct 7 in 2026?

Justice of the Peace, Precinct 7 (Tarrant County)

Kenneth D. Sanders is the sitting Justice of the Peace for Precinct 7 in Tarrant County¹ and took office in 2019². He previously worked for Lockheed Martin and General Motors². He faces Republican Paige Payne-Neal on the November 3, 2026 ballot³.

• Justice of the Peace, Precinct 7 (Tarrant County), since 2019²
• Previously worked for Lockheed Martin and General Motors²
• Took office in 2019 and is running for reelection as the Democratic nominee²³.
• Bar poll: Tarrant County Bar Association 2026 Judicial Candidate Poll (Jan 6 to Jan 29, 2026; 441 of 2,026 eligible attorney members voted, 21.8%). This is a non-binding poll of lawyers, not an endorsement by the Association. Results for Kenneth D. Sanders: Strongly Recommend 12.4% (16), Recommend 7.8% (10), Neutral 6.2% (8), Not Recommend 1.6% (2), Strongly Not Recommend 10.1% (13), Skipped 62.0% (80) (percent of the voters who chose that race category, with vote counts). The poll was taken before the March 3 primary⁵⁶.

Chief operating officer, Welch Law Firm (Arlington)

Paige Payne-Neal is the chief operating officer of the Arlington-based Welch Law Firm and previously worked for Arlington Mayor Jim Ross' law firm¹. She is the Republican nominee for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 7, facing incumbent Kenneth D. Sanders²¹.

• Chief operating officer, Welch Law Firm, Arlington; previously worked for Arlington Mayor Jim Ross' law firm¹
• Her campaign site says she has 20 years in family and commercial real estate and holds BBA and MBA degrees from Northwood University (the candidate's own account, not independently verified)³
• Not a sitting judge. She is the Republican nominee on the November 3, 2026 ballot, facing incumbent Kenneth D. Sanders²¹.
• Bar poll: Tarrant County Bar Association 2026 Judicial Candidate Poll (Jan 6 to Jan 29, 2026; 441 of 2,026 eligible attorney members voted, 21.8%). This is a non-binding poll of lawyers, not an endorsement by the Association. Results for Paige Payne-Neal: Strongly Recommend 13.2% (17), Recommend 4.7% (6), Neutral 3.9% (5), Not Recommend 3.1% (4), Strongly Not Recommend 3.1% (4), Skipped 72.1% (93) (percent of the voters who chose that race category, with vote counts). The poll was taken before the March 3 primary⁵⁶.