State · November 3, 2026 General Election
Reviews decisions made by trial courts to decide whether the law was applied correctly. It does not hold new trials.
What this office does
Texas has 15 courts of appeals with intermediate appellate jurisdiction. The First through Fourteenth courts hear appeals in both civil and criminal cases from district or county courts within their geographic districts; the Fifteenth handles statewide civil matters, including appeals involving state agencies and the Texas Business Court. Each court is led by a chief justice and has at least two other justices, with the number set by statute from three to 13. Appeals are usually heard by three-justice panels unless the full court sits together.
| What we compare | Julie Countiss | David Gunn |
|---|---|---|
| Now | — | Justice, First Court of Appeals of Texas, Place 4Texas Judicial Branch – First Court of Appeals, Justice David M. Gunn ↗ |
| Before | — | Court Attorney, Fourteenth Court of Appeals (1987–1990)Texas Judicial Branch – First Court of Appeals, Justice David M. Gunn ↗ |
| Work | Attorney, Conklin Countiss Sternfels, PLLCState Bar of Texas – Find A Lawyer (ContactID 208830) ↗ | Appellate lawyer (partner, Beck Redden law firm, Houston; practiced appellate law 1990–2024); board-certified in civil appellate lawTexas Judicial Branch – First Court of Appeals, Justice David M. Gunn ↗ |
| Raised | $0$0 in total receipts, through Jun 30, 2026 — Search the Texas Ethics Commission for Julie Countiss's filings | $174K$174,075 in total receipts, through Jun 30, 2026 — Search the Texas Ethics Commission for David Gunn's filings |
| Their words | No published platform we could quote | “Devoted to the principles of fairness and integrity, I am honored to serve the people of Texas on the First Court of Appeals.”Justice David Gunn Campaign Website — self-reported ↗ |
| Records check | 4 official registries searched for every candidate in this race on 28 July 2026 — nothing found. Texas Legislature (impeachment records) · Texas Ethics Commission (final orders) · State Bar of Texas (attorney discipline) · Texas State Securities Board (enforcement orders). | |
| Full profile → | Full profile → | |
Money figures are as filed with the Texas Ethics Commission, and cover only the period each report covers — they are a snapshot, not a live total. Each candidate’s profile carries that filing’s own caveats.
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