Justice, 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 6: who gets your vote?
What this role does
Reviews trial-court decisions in the court’s appellate district.
- Hears civil and criminal appeals, except cases assigned elsewhere by law.
Read about them. Then tap a button to pick one. You can change it later.
Data last updated: Oct 31, 2026 (state and local ballot sources). Verify approaching elections with your state election office.
Our reading of the duties, not an official requirement. Doesn't rank or recommend anyone.
AI can make mistakes. Check the source links.
Ben Smith
Running for Justice, 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 6 · Texas
StateRep
Monica Purdy
Running for Justice, 5th Court of Appeals District, Place 6 · Texas
StateDem
Job fit
Ben Smith
- Smith's campaign reported that he had served as Collin County's 380th District Court judge since Governor Rick Perry appointed him in 2012 and had been elected four times. 1
- His campaign reported a Boston University law degree and over 20 years of legal experience, including work as a district judge, prosecutor and private attorney. 1
- His campaign reported that he had presided over complex civil, family and criminal cases. 1
Monica Purdy
- Dallas County’s undated biography identifies Purdy as presiding judge of the 95th Judicial District Court and describes her prior civil district associate judgeship, unanimously appointed in 2013. 2
- As a civil district associate judge, Purdy conducted jury and bench trials and handled motion hearings, injunctions, temporary restraining orders and discovery disputes. 2
- Her campaign biography says Purdy was appointed a Dallas municipal associate judge in 2010, presiding over trials, conducting jail magistrations and issuing emergency protective orders in family violence cases. 3
Past rulings
We haven't found past rulings for either candidate yet.
Who pays them
We haven’t finished researching campaign money.
Checks
No checks have run for either candidate yet.
Based on current data. May change in a future update.
Sources
- Judge Ben Smith Launches Campaign for 5th Court of Appeals, Place 6 · checked 2026-10-31 used in: Experience
- 95th Civil District Court | Judges Bio - Dallas County · checked 2026-10-31 used in: Experience
- About Judge Purdy - Judge Monica Purdy Campaign - · checked 2026-10-31 used in: Experience