Texas judge Juli Mathew sworn in from Kerala
INDIAN-American Democrat Juli A. Mathew took oath as a judge in Fort Bend County, Texas, for a second consecutive term.
Mathew, a native of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, was sworn in via videoconferencing from her in-law's house in the south Indian state's Kasaragod district. She will continue to serve as presiding judge for Number 3 of the Fort Bend County Court for a period of four years.
She ran for re- election and won with 123,116 votes, beating Republican Andrew Dornburg.
‘I'm grateful for every supporter, prayer warrior, and voter during this journey,' Mathew said in a Facebook post after winning the election.
‘However, it is bittersweet this morning. Many qualified and outstanding candidates and colleagues that I know made huge sacrifices to run and some have not obtained the office they were seeking while others are still awaiting results. Thank you for standing up to accept the call of public service and your work and time is always remembered and honored,' she wrote.
Mathew won her 2018 electoral bid for the bench against Republican Tricia Krenek by an impressive 8.24 per cent margin, making history as the first Indian- American woman elected to the bench in the US.
A practicing attorney for 15 years with experience in mass tort, civil litigation, probate, and criminal matters, Mathew also heads the first Juvenile Intervention and Mental Health Court, which she founded in January 2021.
Judge Mathew grew up in Philadelphia and attended Penn State University before attending Delaware Law School for her Juris Doctorate.