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Endorses Yeary

The race

Place 4 on the Court of Criminal Appeals, elected statewide November 3, 2026. Verified roster: Kevin Yeary (R), the incumbent, vs. Audra Riley (D).

Kevin Yeary — Incumbent. On the court since 2015, elected in 2014 — now in his second term. Before the bench: law clerk to a judge of this court (1991–1992), private practice, then appellate prosecutor in Dallas, Harris, and Bexar counties (1995–2014). His philosophy, in his own words: "Opinions are not the law… courts have no legislative power. They do not make the law." The defining entry on his ledger: in 2021 he was the lone dissenter from the court's ruling that the Attorney General cannot prosecute election cases on his own — he would have let the elected AG prosecute. We price that precisely: it is a documented position for broad elected-prosecutor authority in election cases — consistent with his restraint frame (the Legislature's scheme, enforced) and with law-and-order — and it is also the ruling his critics lead with. Both readings are on the table; the fact is sourced either way. Endorsed by Governor Abbott and pro-life organizations per the candidate-overview coverage; reported cash on hand in that coverage was modest ($2,444). Dirt check: no discipline or ethics record found.

Audra Riley — Challenger. Presiding judge of Dallas County Criminal District Court No. 3 since 2021, with 20+ years in criminal justice: nearly a decade as a prosecutor, plus criminal defense work and service as a correctional officer — a rare full-circle file (custody, prosecution, defense, bench). Her Vote411 answer stresses integrity, diligence, and fairness. The AWA endorsed Riley in 2026. Reported cash on hand in the overview coverage was under $500. Dirt check: no discipline found; no appellate record exists (trial court), and no documented position breaking with her party's criminal-justice wing was retrieved.

Pros and cons

Yeary: Pros: Eleven years on this exact court; two decades as an appellate prosecutor before it; an explicit anti-legislating philosophy; the 2021 lone dissent shows he will stand alone on a structural question. Cons: That dissent is also his main exposure — most of his own court read the law the other way; thin campaign cash for an incumbent. Riley: Pros: A sitting felony trial judge with prosecution and defense and corrections experience — the broadest ground-level file in these three CCA races; AWA endorsement. Cons: No appellate service; no stated textualist philosophy retrieved; negligible fundraising.

OUR CALL

Our call: endorse Kevin Yeary. An incumbent with eleven years on the court, a stated and practiced restraint philosophy, and a dissent record that shows the philosophy costs him something. Riley is a serious trial judge — credited above in full — but trial service plus endorsements, without an appellate record or a break record, does not displace a proven incumbent on our doctrine.

Vote Yeary.

For the complete Election 2026 breakdown — every race, claim by claim — see the full coverage on our website.

Vote early. Research your candidates. Choose the best moderates, whatever their party — no extremism from either side. And encourage your friends and family to do the same.

Sources

Election result — November 4, 2026

Result pending. No verified call (Associated Press or official) as of November 4, 2026. This page will be updated when the race is called or certified. The original article above is unchanged.

AI-assisted article — but the sources are human, and the facts are very real.

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