Cynthia McCrann Wheless, the Republican judge who has presided over Collin County's 417th Judicial District Court since 2004, is on the ballot for the Nov. 3 general election.
This candidacy is listed in the Texas secretary of state’s official November 3, 2026 certification for Collin County.
The 417th District Court handles juvenile cases. It covers Collin County, which includes Allen. Gov. Rick Perry appointed Wheless to the bench in 2004, according to the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health.
Before joining the bench, Wheless worked as an attorney at Haynes and Boone LLP and at Wheless & Walker, according to a news release from the Office of the Texas Governor. She also served as a municipal judge, according to the same release.
Wheless began working in Collin County's juvenile justice system in 1999 as a juvenile court referee for the Collin County Juvenile Board. In that role, she heard cases involving minors before the county's juvenile courts. She also served as a mental health master at the Collin County Probate Court, according to the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health.
Since taking the 417th District Court bench in 2004, Wheless has taken on additional state-level appointments. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed her to the Texas Juvenile Justice Board in December 2022, with a term running through Feb. 1, 2027, according to the governor's office. The board oversees the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, the state agency responsible for juvenile corrections and supervision.
Responses are based on public data and answers to a Surround Sound Media questionnaire if they were provided.
