Thomas Smith, a Republican, is running for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge, Place 3, in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Democratic candidate Okey Anyiam and Libertarian Mark Ash.
Smith has served as an assistant attorney general since 2015, according to BallotReady. He said on his campaign website he is running to restore "a conservative, limited judicial philosophy" to the court. "We are in danger of losing our country, and even our beloved state of Texas," Smith said on the site. "Activist judges running rogue courts who shred the Constitution and the rule of law are fueling that."
The race is statewide.
Allen residents will see it on their Nov. 3 ballots.
Candidate information
- Party: Republican
- Office sought: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge, Place 3
- Education: Bachelor's degree in political science and government, University of Akron (1993); juris doctor, Ohio State University (1996); master's degree in public affairs, University of Texas (2013)
- Hometown background: Smith said on his campaign site he was born in southern Ohio, the son of a public schoolteacher and an oil and gas driller. He said he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Akron in 1993, where he was student body president.
Experience and public service
Smith's career spans corporate law, private practice and government service, according to his campaign site and BallotReady profile data.
He served as a law clerk for Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer at the Supreme Court of Ohio from 1996 to 1998. He then worked as an associate attorney at Jones Day from 1998 to 2001.
Smith moved into corporate legal roles. He served as associate general counsel at Fossil from 2001 to 2005, general counsel at Holigan Financial Group from 2005 to 2006 and general counsel at Davaco Inc. from 2006 to 2011.
In 2013, Smith began working as counsel and policy analyst for then-state Sen. Ken Paxton, a role he held until 2015. He has served as an assistant attorney general at the Texas Attorney General's office since 2015, according to BallotReady.
Smith said on his campaign site he served as a lawyer on the Trump Campaign's election integrity team in Arizona in 2020 and as a delegate for Donald Trump at the 2020 Republican National Convention.
On the issues
Judicial philosophy: Smith said on his campaign site he wants to ensure "justice is served by restoring a conservative, limited judicial philosophy to cases before the court." He said he opposes what he calls judicial activism and believes judges should not "make law from the bench."
Criminal justice and public safety: Smith said his priorities include strengthening the rule of law, fighting for justice for crime victims and working on laws to protect children, according to his campaign site.
Immigration and human trafficking: Smith said on his campaign site he was instrumental in banning sanctuary cities in Texas, describing himself as one of two lawyers who worked with the Legislature to enact that prohibition. He also said he helped write bills addressing human trafficking.
Religious liberty: Smith said on his campaign site he spearheaded passage of a law protecting churches from being forced to make adoptions that violate their religious conscience.
Endorsements
Smith lists endorsements from several law enforcement organizations on his campaign endorsements page, including the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, the Dallas Police Association and the Fort Worth Police Association.
He also lists endorsements from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, state Sen. Angela Paxton, Texas Patriots PAC, Conservative Republicans of Texas, Texas Gun Rights, Gun Owners of America and Texas Family Action, among others.
The Allen Record candidate questionnaire was sent to Tom Oxford's campaign. No response was received as of Oct. 9, 2026. The policy positions above are drawn from his public campaign website and public records.
