Blacklock Leads Ellis in Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Race
ActiVote’s October 19, 2026 Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice poll finds that Republican Jimmy Blacklock leads Democrat Maggie Ellis by 12.2%. The poll was in the field between October 1 and October 19 (median field date of October 10). The poll was among 400 likely midterm voters and has an average expected error of 4.9%.
Blacklock leads among rural and suburban voters, voters aged 30 and older, men, White voters, voters at every income level and voters at every level of education. Ellis leads among urban voters, women, and Black and Latino voters. Voters under 30 are evenly split. These group figures rest on subsamples for which the expected error is considerably larger than the 4.9% for the poll as a whole. Texas does not register voters by party, so we do not report a breakdown by party affiliation.
Political Spectrum
The following graph shows the support for Blacklock and Ellis among left, moderate left, center, moderate right, and right voters. These groups are defined by splitting the Texas electorate in 5 equal sized groups of 20% each.
Blacklock holds his own side more firmly. Both candidates take 98% of their own wing, but Blacklock takes 93% of the moderate right while Ellis takes 72% of the moderate left. Blacklock also wins the center, by 62% to 38%.
Want to be included in our next poll? Check out the app!
Check out our polling page for our latest polls. For further details see our FAQs, polling methodology, AAPOR Transparency Initiative disclosures, and accuracy analysis.
 | 400 LV | Unweighted | Weighted | Jimmy Blacklock | Maggie Ellis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | ±4.9% MoE | 100% | 100% | 56.1% | 43.9% |
| Political Spectrum | Left | 39% | 20% | 2% | 98% |
| Moderate Left | 24% | 20% | 28% | 72% | |
| Center | 10% | 20% | 62% | 38% | |
| Moderate Right | 12% | 20% | 93% | 7% | |
| Right | 14% | 20% | 98% | 2% | |
| Region | rural | 29% | 30% | 68% | 32% |
| suburban | 29% | 27% | 60% | 40% | |
| urban | 43% | 42% | 45% | 55% | |
| Age | 18-29 | 26% | 17% | 50% | 50% |
| 30-49 | 36% | 29% | 55% | 45% | |
| 50-64 | 27% | 23% | 62% | 38% | |
| 65+ | 11% | 30% | 56% | 44% | |
| Gender | F | 44% | 53% | 46% | 54% |
| M | 56% | 47% | 67% | 33% | |
| Ethnicity | White | 66% | 60% | 62% | 38% |
| Black | 9% | 8% | 36% | 64% | |
| Latino | 23% | 27% | 45% | 55% | |
| Income | Low | 21% | 21% | 54% | 46% |
| Middle | 31% | 26% | 57% | 43% | |
| High | 48% | 53% | 57% | 43% | |
| Education | HS | 17% | 22% | 54% | 46% |
| College | 70% | 64% | 57% | 43% | |
| Grad | 13% | 14% | 57% | 43% |