Republican · Chief Justice, 15th Court of Appeals

Scott Brister

No verified campaign links found

Record verified Sept. 24, 2026 · Corrections welcome

Scott Brister is the Republican candidate for Chief Justice, 15th Court of Appeals in the November 3, 2026 general election. Chief justice of the 15th Court of Appeals. The office leads the statewide appeals court that hears cases involving the state, its agencies and officials.

The available judicial record documents these points: Four Texas courts · now chief; Long trial + appellate career; Law over personal beliefs; $183,060 cash on hand; Austin; Limited AG in quorum disputes. These descriptions come from the linked official, candidate, or reported sources and are presented without inferring a judicial position from party affiliation.

Reported coverage

Coverage

Credible reporting and clearly labeled analysis, opinion, interviews, and guides.

Interview/Guide · The Texas Tribune · February 16, 2026

15th Court of Appeals 2026 primary guide

A reported guide to the candidates for the statewide court handling disputes involving Texas government.

Record partial · Reviewed September 24, 2026

Photo: Candidate or public-record portrait via TexasJudges.org

Judicial record at a glance

Appellate / judicial experience: Four Texas courts · now chief
Legal specialization: Long trial + appellate career
Judicial philosophy: Law over personal beliefs
Campaign finance: $183,060 cash on hand
Hometown / home base: Austin
Notable ruling / state-power record: Limited AG in quorum disputes

Major donor context

TLR $20K · Fisher/Valero $5K

15th Court of Appeals 2026 primary guide · REPORTED · reviewed September 24, 2026

Civil liberties

No public info found

Campaign-finance audit

Filing review and source trail

Partial review · checked September 24, 2026

The candidate’s available 2025–2026 TEC reports were reviewed through June 30, 2026. No explicitly identified pro-Israel PAC receipt was located; that finding does not establish a corporate-PAC-free campaign.

Source details

Filing system: TEC
Review period: 20250101 through 20260630
Filing ID(s): 00019840
Review scope: Partial: PAC-name screening of the 2025–2026 Texas Ethics Commission reports through June 30, 2026 is done. Review of large individual donors and full PAC and independent-spending tracing is still outstanding.

How we checked

Matched the candidate's Texas Ethics Commission filer ID and 2025–2026 reports in the September 24, 2026 bulk export.
Screened contributor names for identified Israel-policy organizations; a plain word search was rejected because it matched donor surnames.
Outstanding: list every PAC contributor, review individual donors giving $25,000 or more against independent advocacy sources, and trace independent spending.

PAC & IE receipts

Direct AIPAC, other pro-Israel PAC, IE support and IE opposition remain separate.

View receipts →

Major donor context

No public info found

Israel-linked financial actions

No public info found

Muslim community engagement

We found no public record of an in-person engagement or organized policy work with a Muslim organization in the sources reviewed through September 24, 2026.

Years in public office: No public info found

We have not yet sourced a complete record of this candidate's government service, so no number is shown.

Still needed: An official biography or government record confirming whether this candidate has held any public office has not yet been reviewed.

What to know

Certified for the November 3, 2026 ballot as the Republican candidate.
2026 General Election statewide sample ballot
Chief justice of the 15th Court of Appeals.
TexasJudges.org: 15th Court chief justice

We are reviewing opinions, briefs and professional records for this judicial race. We do not infer a judge's position from party affiliation.

Sources under review

TexasJudges.org race index · REFERENCE

Written OpinionsOpen