Chief Justice-elect Maggie Ellis becomes first LGBTQ+ person in Texas to win statewide race

Amid a national rainbow wave with a blue Texas hue, the Lone Star State elected its first out LGBTQ+ chief justice to the state Supreme Court.

Maggie Ellis, whose race against Republican opponent Jimmy Blacklock was called early Wednesday morning, marks a lot of firsts in Texas history. The Democrat is also the first woman elected to lead the high court and the first LGBTQ+ person to win a statewide election in Texas, as Austin NBC affiliate KXAN reported. With over 95 percent of the estimated vote tallied, Ellis led Blacklock 52 to 48 percent.

“Texas, we made history. As a mom, I can’t help but think about what this means for the next generation of Texas kids,” Ellis said in a statement reported by KXAN. “I want every child growing up in this state to know that no door is closed to them because of who they are, where they come from, or who they love.”

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Ellis was also previously the first out judge elected to a Texas appellate court; she currently serves on the Texas Third Court of Appeals.

“As our state’s very first statewide LGBTQIA+ identifying officeholder, Justice Ellis has sent a clear message to our LGBTQIA+ community: work hard, stay true to yourself, and believe in the people of Texas,” Texas House LGBTQ Caucus chair Rep. Jessica González said in a statement reported by KXAN.

The win makes Texas the 13^th state to ever elect an LGBTQ+ justice to the state Supreme Court, based on a 2025 report from the Alliance for Justice. Ellis is one of the only judges to reach that position via a direct election; the vast majority cited in the Alliance for Justice report reached their positions via gubernatorial appointment.

The election ended a long-time stranglehold by Republicans on the Texas high court. Since 1999, all nine Texas Supreme Court have been Republicans, but Ellis was one of four Democrats to win spots on the bench this week, along with Chari Kelly, Kristen Hawkins and Gisela Triana.

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That alone could be consequential in a state that, under freshly defeated Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, passed several bills restricting transgender rights in the nation’s second most populous state. As recently as 2025, the Texas Supreme Court upheld the right of judges to refuse to preside over constitutionally protected same-sex unions.

Ellis’ campaign website made mention of her history-making run. It also stressed her background as an educator and a lawyer working throughout the Texas court system.

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“Over more than fifteen years, Maggie has served as an administrative law judge, a prosecutor, and a trial attorney — representing families, children, business owners, and individuals facing civil, family, juvenile, and criminal court matters,” the website noted.