East Texas

LONGVIEW - Former Gregg County District Attorney Bill Jennings has won the race for judge of 124th District Court, totals show.

Complete but unofficial vote tallies in the Republican primary show Jennings received 7,350 votes, 76 percent, to 2,318 votes, or 24 percent, for Terry Jackson.

The judicial post had been held by Alvin Khoury, who is retiring and did not run again.

"Right now I'm looking forward to a vacation," Jennings joked shortly after learning the results.

"I have been very fortunate to have been (district attorney) for 11 years and now to be the district judge," he said. "Those are two honors and I feel fortunate."

Jennings said he looks forward to entering a "spirit of cooperation" with other officials.

No one filed to run as a Democrat.

Jennings, who is now set to take office in January, left his post as Gregg County district attorney last year to seek the district judge position.

He has 25 years of legal experience, beginning his law career as an assistant district attorney in Gregg County in 1982. He opened a private law practice three years later and, in 1996, he was appointed as the Gregg County district attorney.

He's a graduate of Longview High School, Kilgore College, Stephen F. Austin State University and Texas Tech School of Law.

Jackson works as the city prosecutor for the city of Longview. He's a former assistant district attorney for Harrison County and, before that, he owned a private law practice. Jackson also has 16 years of law enforcement service, working for the Longview Police Department and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

Jackson is a lifelong resident of East Texas. He earned a master's degree from The University of Texas at Tyler and a law degree from Oklahoma City University. He and his wife, Cindy, have four children.