(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in March. I am running these responses in the order that I receive them from the candidates. Much more information about Democratic primary candidates, including links to the interviews and judicial Q&As, can be found on Erik Manning’s spreadsheet.
Judge Jim Kovach
1. Who are you and in which court do you preside?
I am Judge Jim F. Kovach, and I am the presiding Judge of Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 2. I was first elected in 2018.
2. What kind of cases does this court hear?
We hear civil matters with an amount in controversy of $325,000 or less.
3. What have been your main accomplishments during your time on this bench?
I was the administrative judge my first two years on the bench and converted our filing system to go electronic online and stopped paper files. I also helped institute implicit bias training for court appointments and opened up the special commissioner appointments by having annual training classes.
4. What do you hope to accomplish in your courtroom going forward?
I would like to continue to run the court efficiently and use my 34 yeas of legal experience to help litigants resolve their disputes in an efficient and fair manner.
5. Why is this race important?
County civil court at law no. 2 disposed of over 10,000 cases in 2025. There are many litigants relying on the court to have the experience and proper temperament to effectively handle the high volume of cases in an efficient and fair manner. I handle eviction appeals, homeowner association cases, and creditor/debtor matters. We are a very high volume court.
6. Why should people vote for you in March?
I was recently rated by the Houston Bar Association (lawyers who practice in our courts) as the top judge in the county civil courts at law and the number 3 highest rated judge in all of Harris County. I received an overall rating of excellent by 66.1% of respondents and very good by 16.9% of respondents for a total of 83% of respondents rating me very good or excellent.
I have 34 years of experience as a lawyer including 7 years of being judge of this court. I am well liked by the parties and my reputation is that I am fair, just, efficient, and courteous. I encourage voters to look at my HBA Results as I rated very good or excellent in all categories and to check out my website at www.Kovachforjudge.com.
Nice guy but there’s no hope of a white guy winning a contested democratic primary in Harris County these days.