Texas Supreme Court Hopefuls Denied Access to March Primary (1)

The Texas Republican party properly rejected two candidates’ applications to run for seats on the state Supreme Court, separate courts ruled Monday, a result of failing to secure voter pre-clearance.

David Rogers and Steven Smith remain off the ballot, ending their short-lived primary challenges.

Rogers, a city council member in Pflugerville near Austin, sought to oppose incumbent Justice Brett Busby, while Smith, a former Supreme Court justice, looked to face Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock. Monday’s decisions means Busby and Blacklock will run unopposed in the March primary, just as their Republican Supreme Court colleagues, James Sullivan and Kyle Hawkins. The ...