Republican attorney Matthew Kolodoski faces Democrat Amanda Reichek in the Nov. 3, 2026, election for Place 3 on Texas’s 5th Court of Appeals, according to the secretary of state’s certified ballot.
The Dallas-based court serves Collin, Dallas, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman and Rockwall counties. The race applies to voters within that appellate district; Denton County is outside it.
Background
Kolodoski grew up in Frisco, according to his campaign biography. His law firm biography lists a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston in 2010 and a law degree from Southern Methodist University in 2013.
He is a partner at Gette Law, where his work includes commercial litigation, appeals and insurance coverage. He previously worked at Thompson Coe and clerked for federal magistrate judge Irma C. Ramirez. His firm lists board certifications in consumer and commercial law and insurance law.
Judicial approach
Kolodoski says judges should apply the law as written, weigh the parties’ arguments carefully and remain impartial. His campaign emphasizes a limited judicial role and equal, respectful treatment of people appearing before the court.
Those statements describe his intended approach to deciding cases. They do not establish how he would rule in a particular dispute.
What the office can do
The court’s jurisdiction includes civil and criminal appeals from district and county courts in its six-county region. Cases generally go before three-justice panels, which consider the trial-court record and the parties’ briefs.
For residents, its decisions can affect the outcome of appealed civil disputes and criminal cases. A justice participates in those decisions rather than passing legislation or setting local tax rates.
This profile draws on the certified ballot, court information and Kolodoski’s campaign and professional biographies.
The Rockwall Herald did not receive a direct questionnaire response from the candidate and does not endorse candidates.
