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Endorses Wysocki
The race
Place 8 on the Fifth Court of Appeals (Dallas), November 3, 2026 — open seat, incumbent stepping down. This is the family-law race: both candidates are Dallas family-court judges. Verified roster: Andrea Plumlee (D) vs. Ashley Wysocki (R).
Andrea Plumlee — Challenger. Judge of the 330th District Court (Family Court) in Dallas County, first elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 and 2022 — Law.com puts her family-court service at 15 years counting the full tenure — and winner of her Democratic primary with 68%. Her campaign's frame: cases "where outcomes profoundly affect families," and law that is "not abstract." Credits: a decade-plus of continuous family-court service, repeatedly returned by voters. Dirt check: no discipline found; no appellate service, and no stated appellate philosophy was retrieved.
Ashley Wysocki — Challenger. Presiding judge of the 301st District Court (family), appointed to the bench by Abbott on February 6, 2023, and a family-law specialist who has also served as judge of the 44th and 254th District Courts (civil) and the 162nd — an unusually wide Dallas bench portfolio — presiding over hundreds of trials. Before the bench: consulting attorney and mediator in family, commercial, and civil litigation. Credits: family specialization plus civil-court judging — the Fifth Court hears both. Dirt check: no discipline found; her initial path was appointment, and her elected tenure is the shortest of the two.
Pros and cons
Plumlee: Pros: Longest single-court family tenure; three election wins; a commanding 68% primary. Cons: Family-only bench record; no appellate philosophy on file retrieved; party-line candidacy without a break record. Wysocki: Pros: Family specialization matched with civil-district judging across four courts; hundreds of trials; mediation background — the appellate temperament skill. Cons: Appointed entry; shorter elected record.
OUR CALL
Our call: endorse Ashley Wysocki. Where both candidates bring the same specialty, breadth decides: Wysocki has judged family and civil dockets, which is the Fifth Court's actual mix, and she carries the alignment. Plumlee's twelve years in one family court are credited in full — depth in one docket does not beat depth plus breadth plus direction.
Vote Wysocki.
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
- 2026 United States judicial elections — District 5 Place 8 roster — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_judicial_elections
- Texas Secretary of State — 2026 Ballot Certification Report — https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/TXSOS/2026/08/28/file_attachments/3762756/2026%20Ballot%20Certification-final.pdf
- Law.com / Texas Lawyer — Plumlee vs. Wysocki for Place 8 (Plumlee: 330th District; Wysocki: presiding judge, 301st District) (Oct. 12, 2026) — https://www.law.com/texaslawyer/2026/10/12/texas-election-judges-andrea-plumlee-ashley-wysocki-face-off-for-justice-of-fifth-court-of-appeals-place-8/
- Collin County Democratic Party — Fifth Court races (Plumlee elected 2014/2018/2022, 68% primary; Wysocki appointed Feb. 6, 2023, family-law specialist, 44th/254th service) — https://collincountydemocraticparty.substack.com/p/the-races-that-will-decide-texas-f0f
- Dallas Professional Republican Women program — Wysocki: 301st presiding judge, prior 162nd/44th/254th service, hundreds of trials, mediation practice — https://www.professdprw.com/api/v1/file/7897b1aa-c550-4b7f-9f35-a7f06b0d6885.pdf
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.