Juli Mathew, the presiding judge of Fort Bend County Court at Law No. 3, is running for reelection as a Democrat in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Republican Jessica Jaramillo is also running for the seat.
Mathew said in a questionnaire response that she is seeking another term because her "commitment to that work remains strong." First elected in 2018, she took office in January 2019. She won reelection in 2022 and is serving her eighth year on the bench.
Candidate information
Party: Democratic
Education: A bachelor's degree in administration of justice with a minor in sociology from Penn State University in 1999 and a law degree from Widener University School of Law, now Delaware Law School, in 2002
Family: Married to Jimmy Mathew, a small business owner. They have three daughters: Alyna, Ava and Sofia. The family has lived in Fort Bend County for about 24 years. Her brother works as a pretrial monitor for the county's adult probation department.
Languages: English and Malayalam
Experience and public service
Before taking the bench, Mathew practiced law for more than 15 years in civil and criminal matters, according to her questionnaire response. She also served as an associate municipal judge for the City of Arcola and teaches strategic writing to third-year law students as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center.
She served as administrative judge of the Fort Bend County Courts at Law during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is a member of the National Association of Women Judges and the Lone Star Exchange Club. She has chaired the county's Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program, which directs federal public safety funding in Fort Bend County. She also helps organize the Color of Justice Conference.
She founded the Chai & Chat series, a program that brings local officials and residents together, and co-founded the Kitchen to the Courthouse initiative, which she describes as inspiring young women to pursue their goals.
Mathew made history as the first Indian American woman elected to the bench in the United States and the first Asian American woman elected to the bench in Fort Bend County, according to the county's website. She was born in Kerala, India, and raised in Philadelphia.
Selected awards: 2026 George H.W. Bush Award from the Asian Pacific American Heritage Association (APAHA); 2026 Public Official of the Year, University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs; NAACP Community Service Award; FOMAA Woman of the Year; Outstanding Woman in Law Award, South Indian US Chamber of Commerce
Endorsement: AFL-CIO
On the issues
Why she is running: Mathew said she first ran when the incumbent judge was retiring and she "saw an opportunity to put my legal experience to work in service to Fort Bend County." She said serving as a judge reinforced her understanding that court decisions "affect individuals, families, and the broader community."
Court performance: Mathew said her court achieved a 135% clearance rate in 2024-25, which she called the highest in Fort Bend County and above the Office of Court Administration's 90% benchmark. Court at Law No. 3 handles civil cases, adult criminal misdemeanors, juvenile felonies and misdemeanors, probate, guardianship, eminent domain, mental health matters and appeals from justice of the peace courts.
Juvenile justice: Mathew founded the Juvenile Intervention and Mental Health Specialty Court (JIMHS) in 2019. She said the court combines accountability, treatment and support. "We want young people who come through our courts to become productive members of society by addressing their challenges while holding them accountable," she said in her questionnaire response.
Early voting for the Nov. 3, 2026, general election runs Oct. 19-30. Fort Bend County residents can check polling locations through the county elections office.
