Democrat Holly Taylor faces Republican John Messinger in the Nov. 3, 2026, election for Place 9 on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, according to the secretary of state’s certified ballot. The statewide race appears on ballots across Texas.
Background
Taylor is a criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor, according to her campaign biography. She previously directed the Travis County district attorney’s Public Integrity and Complex Crimes Division and worked on appeals, civil rights and conviction-integrity matters.
She also served as a staff attorney and rules attorney at the Court of Criminal Appeals. Her campaign lists board certification in criminal appellate law.
In a published candidate questionnaire, Taylor lists a bachelor’s degree from Rice University in 1989 and both a law degree and a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Texas at Austin in 1995.
Judicial approach
Taylor’s campaign platform emphasizes independent judgment, thorough review of criminal cases and respect for constitutional protections. She says everyone in the criminal justice system should be treated with dignity.
She points to her conviction-integrity work, including reviewing wrongful-conviction claims, as experience informing that approach. Her statements do not establish how she would decide a particular appeal.
What the office can do
The Court of Criminal Appeals is Texas’s highest court for criminal cases. Its official description explains that death-penalty appeals come directly to it, while other criminal appeals generally reach intermediate courts first and may then receive further review.
The court also considers post-conviction habeas corpus matters involving felony convictions. Its decisions can affect whether convictions and sentences stand and how criminal-law protections apply statewide.
A judge decides legal questions with other members of the court. The office does not enact criminal statutes or appropriate funding for police, prisons or treatment programs.
This profile draws on the certified ballot, court information, Taylor’s campaign materials and her published questionnaire responses.
The Prosper-Celina Journal did not receive a direct questionnaire response from the candidate and does not endorse candidates.
