Texas › Liberty County › Judge, 75th Judicial District Court of Liberty County
One candidate is tracked for Judge, 75th Judicial District Court of Liberty County, headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff: James "JD" Chandler. Candidate information follows official Liberty County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
James "JD" Chandler and appointed incumbent Michelle Merendino ran closest in a four-candidate March 3, 2026 Republican primary field (Merendino 33.42%, Chandler 31.18%) with no majority winner, then Chandler finished ahead of Merendino in the May 26, 2026 runoff, 56.54% to 43.46%, per the county's official runoff results. No Democrat filed, so Chandler is unopposed in November. Merendino resigned the bench early, effective August 7, 2026, before her appointed term was set to end, and Governor Abbott's office began the process to appoint a replacement while Chandler awaited his own term to begin in January, per Bluebonnet News.
Republican
James "JD" Chandler operates a law practice in Liberty County, per Bluebonnet News, and won the May 2026 Republican primary runoff for 75th District Judge over appointed incumbent Michelle Merendino. He was in the process of winding down his practice in anticipation of taking the bench. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 9, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for James "JD" Chandler.