Judge Thomas West takes comfortable reelection win for 19th State District Court

Republican Judge Thomas West handily won his reelection bid for a second term presiding over Waco's 19th State District Court.

West defeated Democratic challenger Barry Johnson, a former McLennan County District attorney, to retain the bench in one of the county's two main felony criminal courts.

"I thank the good citizens of McLennan County for valuing experience and result-oriented court administration, providing justice equally and fairly to everyone," West said Tuesday night.

West received 65,043 votes, or 67.7% of the total, to Johnson's 31,006 votes, or 32.3%.

Earlier in the night, Johnson said the voters had spoken and West's lead was insurmountable.

"I'm proud of my campaign. ... I'm glad we live in a democracy, glad I had the opportunity to run, and I respect what the voters have said," Johnson said.

This is the first time West faced a challenger in the general election. He previously won a run-off in the Republican Party primary in July 2020 against Christi DeCluitt after none of the four candidates for the 19th court bench gained a majority in the primary. Then West ran unopposed in November 2020.

In December, Johnson announced he was switching parties to be a Democrat and run against West. In March 2022, he lost the Republican primary for DA to current DA Josh Tetens. Johnson served one term as DA.

West was first elected to the 19th Court bench after former Judge Ralph Strother retired. Before becoming a judge, West worked as criminal defense attorney for 20 years, a partner in the law firm of Dunnam & Dunnam. He began his career in 1991 with the McLennan County District Attorney's Office as a prosecutor.

Before Johnson's time as DA from 2018 to 2022, his law practice between 1989 and 2017 was mostly the areas of personal injury, product liability and medical malpractice law and almost entirely in Dallas-Fort Worth or out of state. He tried only two criminal cases himself, both at the defense table and in the Fort Worth area.

In this recent campaign, West ran on his record of disposing more than 5,000 cases, including about 80 through jury trials. None of the cases have been reversed on appeal.

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