Libertarian Mark Ash faces Republican Thomas Smith and Democrat Okey Anyiam in the Nov. 3, 2026, election for Place 3 on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, according to the state’s certified ballot.
Background and published views
The Libertarian Party’s current candidate biography describes Ash as a Houston criminal defense attorney licensed in Texas since 1992. It lists education at the University of Texas at El Paso and South Texas College of Law.
In a 2018 League of Women Voters questionnaire, Ash emphasized civil liberties and deciding cases impartially from the law and facts. Those answers came from an earlier campaign; they should not be presented as newly submitted 2026 responses.
No detailed current implementation or funding proposal was verified for this profile.
What the office does
The Court of Criminal Appeals is Texas’s highest criminal court. It receives death-penalty appeals directly, may review other criminal appeals and considers felony post-conviction habeas corpus matters.
Its rulings can affect convictions, sentences and the application of constitutional protections statewide. A judge decides cases with other court members rather than passing criminal statutes or independently funding public-safety programs.
This profile uses the certified ballot, official court information, Ash’s party biography and dated questionnaire responses.
The Prosper-Celina Journal did not receive a direct questionnaire response from the candidate and does not endorse candidates.
