Four Democrats won seats on the Texas Supreme Court in Tuesday's election, ending a long stretch in which Republican justices held all nine seats. Republicans will hold a 5-4 majority when the new members take office next year.
One of the Democrats, Maggie Ellis, will become the state's first female chief justice. The court hears civil appeals and has the final say on civil matters, including the interpretation of state laws. Justices are elected statewide to staggered six-year terms.
Don Cruse, an Austin civil lawyer who writes a blog about the court, said it is difficult to predict how the new justices will vote alongside the Republicans. "I could imagine different kinds of coalitions being built there," he said.