Joe Pool
What is your work history, including current employment? Please respond in a list format.
428th Judicial District Judge
Pool Law Firm
What is your educational history, including degrees received, licenses, professional credentials, etc.? Please respond in a list format
BA in Government from The University of Texas
JD from The University of Texas School of Law
License to Practice Law in the State of Texas
Federal Courts: Western District of Texas and The Northern District of Texas
Admitted to United States Tax Court
What is your history of supporting Democratic organizations and/or candidates?
Leslie and I have supported many democratic organizations and candidates in the past. As a currently serving District Judge I am not supposed to identify favored candidates or organizations other than the Democratic Party.
What, if any, experience do you have with non-partisan volunteering and community engagement in Hays County?
I researched and developed an initiative to restrict campaign contributions to only those who may vote in an election. This initiative was named Voter Campaign Finance Reform. I spent years trying to get this on a state constitutional ballot. I stopped working on this initiative when I became a Hays County District Judge. My efforts to limit campaign contributions to voters were done voluntarily at my own time and expense.
I have also volunteered for many years fighting the diminishment by the Republican Party of civil jury rights.
Leslie and I have been a supporter and volunteer for the Austin School of Film for more than 25 years.
What area(s) of the law have you practiced?
Contracts
Corporate
Real Estate
Finance
Energy
Criminal
Litigation in all of the above
How do you handle making difficult decisions, especially ones you may not personally agree with?
My guide in all legal matters is our constitutions and the rule of law. The most difficult decision I have ever made from the bench concerned the termination of parental rights. It took a long and hard contemplation of the admitted evidence and introspection before I could see what was best for all parties going forward.
What Democratic values will you apply to your work once elected?
Democratic values I apply to my work as District Judge are many and in conformity with our constitutions. Chief among them are liberty, equality, and justice, emphasizing individual rights, inclusive participation, and the rule of law.
The rule of law is under unprecedented attack in America. How can we trust you to defend the rights of all Hays County people even in the face of pressure from the state and federal government?
In 2014 I sued the Republican Party to enforce their ballot petitioning rules equally upon all candidates instead of just unfavored candidates. In 2017 I sued Donald Trump to stop his violations of the First Amendment. These were 2 lawsuits I felt strongly about and pursued at my own expense.
Some people are being held in pre-trial incarceration for long periods of time. How will you address the backlog of cases and speed up the justice process while respecting the rights of the victim and the accused?
As District Judge I have been focused on this issue and have contributed to a significant reduction in the backlog of cases and in the number of incarcerations all without releasing violent offenders. In this regard our Hays County Team has reduced incarceration expenses from my first week as District Judge of $25,077 per day on January 7, 2023 to $15, 272.50 per day on January 11, 2026. This dramatic cost reduction has been accomplished also without reducing violent offenders.
Yes or no, did you use AI to assist you in answering any of these questions?
No
District Judge is a countywide office. Anyone residing in Hays County will be able to vote in this race.
Hays County uses vote centers, meaning Hays County voters may cast ballots at any vote center in the county during the times the vote centers are operating.
Early Voting Begins: 2/17/26
Election Day: 3/3/26
