Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday that he will appoint former Texas Deputy Attorney General Jimmy Blacklock to the state's supreme court.
Blacklock, general counsel to the governor's office, would replace Don Willett as a state supreme court justice after Willett is confirmed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals by the U.S. Senate, which is expected in the next several weeks.
The governor made the announcement Monday in a press conference at the Republican Party of Texas headquarters in Austin. Abbott said that Blacklock will assure another conservative vote on the state's highest civil court, where Republicans control all nine seats.
Blacklock was the state's deputy attorney general for legal counsel when Abbott was attorney general, and he previously served as special assistant and senior counsel to the Attorney General's Office and as assistant solicitor general, according to the governor's office.
Willett would join a court that has been an influential stop in recent years for high-profile Texas laws over abortion access, voting rights and immigration crackdowns.
Abbott says he'll formally appoint Blacklock after Willett is confirmed.
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