Candidates for Texas Court of Appeals, District 2, Place 3 in Tarrant County
Elizabeth Kerr
Email: kerrforjustice@gmail.com
Political party: Republican
Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 66
Campaign website: I don’t have a website but have a Facebook page, Justice Elizabeth Kerr
Occupation: Justice, 2nd Court of Appeals
Education: B.A. Rice University (1978); J.D. University of Texas (1982)
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought)
Yes — I was successful in the 2016 primary and runoff for the position I currently hold.
Please list highlights of your civic involvement:
Since 2015 I have been an officer and committee chair of the Fort Worth Republican Women club, which focuses on issues education and supports conservative candidates throughout Tarrant County. I am also a member of Republican clubs in Tarrant, Denton, and Parker Counties, and have consistently supported the Republican party’s efforts to promote conservative values.
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
Jackson Walker LLP; Kelly Hart & Hallman; Winstead P.C.
What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent(s)?
I am unfamiliar, personally, with my opponent, so I can speak only to my own views on a judge’s role. As a conservative Republican, I strongly believe that judges should follow the law as written, not legislate from the bench, and not let a personal sense of justice drive the outcome of litigation. We all have different sensibilities and conceptions of justice, but a consistent application of the law is critical to giving all citizens the assurance that they will be treated fairly and to fostering respect for the judicial system.
What are the three biggest issues in this race?
1. Adhering to the rule of law, even when the outcome is not as I would personally like. (As Justice Antonin Scalia famously remarked, “Show me a judge who’s happy with every decision he or she has written, and I’ll show you a bad judge.”) 2. Showing respect to every litigant, regardless of their status, and giving thorough consideration to their legal arguments. 3. Judicial races, at the end of the day, are not really issues-driven: our role is not to function as a “super legislature” but to understand the modesty and humility with which we should approach our obligations to honor and follow the laws of the state of Texas and the Constitution.
Delonia A. Watson
Democrat Delonia A. Watson did not respond.
