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Endorses Kolodoski

The race

Place 3 on the Fifth Court of Appeals, sitting in Dallas — the state's largest intermediate court, with 13 justices hearing civil and criminal appeals from Dallas, Collin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, and Rockwall counties. All three Fifth Court seats on this ballot are open in effect: the Democratic incumbents are stepping down. November 3, 2026. Verified roster: Amanda Reichek (D) vs. Matthew Kolodoski (R).

Amanda Reichek — Challenger (former justice). Reichek sat on this court from 2019 to 2024 (Place 10), elected in the 2018 wave; the Collin County Democratic account credits her with authoring over 500 opinions in six years, and the court's own biography confirms the service. Before the bench she practiced plaintiff-side employment law — representing employees and unions — held the Dallas Bar's Labor and Employment Council chair, and is board certified in labor and employment law. She lost her 2024 re-election by a razor-thin margin. Dirt check: no discipline found. The priced con: her career's center of gravity is advocacy for one side of the employment docket (employees and unions against employers) — a documented orientation, not an accusation — and her 2024 loss, however narrow, is the voters' most recent verdict.

Matthew Kolodoski — Challenger. A partner at Gette Law PLLC in Dallas, a civil litigator through all phases of trial and appeal in state and federal court, board certified in commercial law, consumer law, and insurance law. Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC endorsed him in terms that track our doctrine: candidates "committed to applying the plain words of the law." His own philosophy statement: apply the law as written, respect "the limited role of the judiciary," decide "without favor, prejudice, or preconception." He ran for this court's Place 3 in 2024 and lost to Judge Tina Clinton by fewer than 1,600 votes (49.95%) — a near-miss, verified against the Secretary of State's finalized results. Dirt check: no discipline found; he has never been a judge, and Democratic critics label him "corporate-backed" for the TLR endorsement — an endorsement we count the other way, printed here so voters see both pricings.

Pros and cons

Reichek: Pros: Six years on this court and 500+ authored opinions — the deepest appellate output in the Fifth Court races; board certification; a known quantity. Cons: A plaintiff/union-side career orientation; the 2024 electorate already retired her once. Kolodoski: Pros: Triple board certification; a stated plain-words, limited-judiciary philosophy; TLRPAC endorsement; proved in 2024 he can run this district to a coin flip. Cons: Unproven as a judge; twice a candidate without a win yet.

OUR CALL

Our call: endorse Matthew Kolodoski. Philosophy plus certification plus demonstrated district-wide viability: Kolodoski states the restraint program in his own words and carries the lawsuit-reform endorsement that vouches for it. Reichek's opinion volume is a genuine credit — and it documents six years of judging from an advocacy-formed outlook our doctrine does not choose when an aligned, credentialed alternative stands. Kolodoski's never-served status is stated as unproven, per the rule.

Vote Kolodoski.

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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