Criminal District Judge, 497th Judicial District: who gets your vote?
What this role does
Criminal district judges hear felony criminal cases and manage court proceedings under criminal law.
Their rulings affect criminal trials and the rights of people involved.
- Felony cases
- Criminal trial proceedings
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.
PEYTON PEEBLES
Running for Criminal District Judge, 497th Judicial District · Texas
StateRepublican Party / Partido Republicano
BREANNA SCHWARTZ
Running for Criminal District Judge, 497th Judicial District · Texas
StateDemocratic Party / Partido Demócrata
Job fit
PEYTON PEEBLES
- On January 7, 2025, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Peebles’s appointment to Harris County’s 497th Judicial District Court, for a term expiring December 31, 2026, or until his successor is duly elected and qualified. 1
- Peebles previously worked as general counsel and staff attorney for Harris County’s Office of Court Management, a solo practitioner, and an investigator and assistant district attorney for Harris County. 1
- The January 2025 appointment announcement identified Peebles as a partner with Shellist Peebles McAlister, LLP, and owner of Peebles Law Firm, PLLC. 1
BREANNA SCHWARTZ
- The Houston Chronicle’s October 2, 2026 profile reported that Schwartz had nine years of experience as a prosecutor. 2
- The Chronicle reported that Schwartz ran her own criminal law practice, taking mostly indigent clients in appellate cases and pre-trial settings. 2
- As a prosecutor, Schwartz helped start the Responsive Interventions for Change Court, which diverts nonviolent, low-level felony offenders into supervised treatment and community supervision instead of jail or prison. 2
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
- Governor Abbott Appoints Peebles To 497th Judicial District ... · checked 2026-10-31 used in: Experience
- Harris County voters should keep Gov. Abbott's felony court ... · checked 2026-10-31 used in: Experience