Former appeals justice running for Smith County judge

STARRVILLE – Former Texas Twelfth Court of Appeals justice Sam Griffith has announced that he will be running to replace congressional hopeful Nathaniel Moran as Smith County judge. Thus far, Griffith is opposed in the upcoming GOP primary by current County Commissioner Neal Franklin. According to our news partner KETK, Griffith still owns and operates the family farm that he grew up on in Starrville. Since his retirement in 2015, he has been traveling to help impoverished communities around the world. Griffith also co-founded the Texas Minority Coalition, a multiracial group of Christian conservatives. Along with that, he has published two novels.