(WASHINGTON) LGBTQ+ Victory Fund endorsed five incumbent LGBTQ+ Harris County, Texas judges (the “Fab 5”) up for re-election in 2026. All demonstrate a path to victory in their primary races. The judges include:
- Judge Beau Miller, who is the Trial Judge of the Year by the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists and co-jurist of the year from the Mexican-American Bar Association of Texas;
- Judge Jason Cox, who received the Houston Bar Association’s President’s Award and is a high-profile leader on the law and mental health in Harris County;
- Judge Jerry Simoneaux, consistently ranked by the Houston Bar Association in the top 1% of elected judges, was recognized by the State Bar of Texas for his work in bridging the access to justice gap;
- Judge Jim Kovach, who has 34 years of trial experience, presided over 75 jury trials, and served as Board chair of Legacy Community Health; and,
- Judge Shannon Baldwin, one of the historic “Houston 19” judges to win in 2018, who her peers elected to oversee all 20 criminal and civil county courts, is an adjunct professor at TSU’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
“It’s rare that a group of LGBTQ+ elected officials have done as well in office as the ‘Fab 5’ in Harris County have done,” said Evan Low, President & CEO of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. “When you have a good thing, we say keep it going. That’s why we are backing these incumbent judges and will work with local entities to ensure they have the momentum and the funding to win their primaries.”
More than 230 candidates have received LGBTQ+Victory Fund’s endorsement for the 2025 and 2026 campaign cycle. To earn LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s endorsement as a judicial candidate, they must be qualified, an “out” member of the LGBTQ+ community who supports LGBTQ+ equality, and demonstrate a path to victory.