Thomas J. Baker (Democrat Challenger)
Thomas J. Baker is an attorney who previously served as Assistant Bee County Attorney, in the U.S. Naval Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) and at the Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island.
Baker received bachelor’s degrees in journalism and government from The University of Texas at Austin and a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. He has been licensed by the State Bar of Texas since 1984 and is board certified in family law.
David Puryear (Republican Incumbent)
Justice David Puryear is the senior justice on the Third Court of Appeals, serving since 2001. He has authored more than 2,500 opinions and led all Texas appellate court justices in total opinion production in 2015 and 2016. Puryear previously served as first assistant attorney in the Travis County District Attorney’s office. He was deputy director of the Special Crimes Division under Texas Attorney General John Cornyn and served as judge of Travis County Court at Law No. 6 and as a Travis County justice of the peace.
Puryear received a bachelor’s degree from Southwestern University and a law degree from Texas Tech University. He has been licensed by the State Bar of Texas since 1983.
Justice Puryear has been endorsed by TLRPAC and the Texas Civil Justice League PAC.