Republican attorney H.D. Bailey officially announced Thursday that he is a candidate for Chief Justice of the 6th Court of Appeals in the March 2, 2010, primary.

He has posted a webpage at ww.BaileyforChiefJustice.com for further information regarding his credentials.

Bailey seeks the office because he wants to serve his community during his most productive and seasoned years. He is a conservative Republican from Gilmer, Upshur County, Texas. Bailey holds fast to the notion that jurists must never have their own political agenda. Rather, Bailey believes that jurists are sworn to follow the law as enacted by the Texas Legislature, and previous Court rulings of the Texas Supreme Court.

The Sixth Court of Appeals is headquartered in Texarkana, Texas and decides cases appealed from the following counties: Gregg, Hunt, Bowie, Wood, Rusk, Harrison, Upshur, Fannin, Hopkins, Lamar, Cass, Franklin, Titus, Panola, Camp, Delta, Marion, Morris and Red River. Most people in these Northeast Texas Counties do not know that they vote to elect justices of the 6th Court of Appeals. The election of our appellate justices is probably the most important choice our voters make, says Bailey. Judicial decisions often set the moral and ethical standards of our communities. Decision by jurists who have not understood this role have marred the national, and consequently, the local societies of our nation.

Bailey's ancestors moved to Cass County, REPUBLIC of TEXAS, in November, 1841, not far from present-day Jefferson, which later became a part of Marion County, Texas. Bailey was born in his father’s farm house toward the end of WWII. His dad was a cotton farmer and ran a small dairy. Bailey learned the necessity of hard work and long hours at an early age. He served honorably in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He was assigned to the First Air Cavalry Division and was honorably discharged. Bailey then paid his own way through college and law school. He earned his Juris Doctorate degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston, graduating with honors.

Bailey is the youngest of seven children. His mother is 103 years old, and is still able to live alone. Bailey married the former Gaye Friske. She was born in San Antonio. They have eight children, all but two of whom have graduated from college with bachelors or higher degrees. The other two are presently pursuing their degrees.

Bailey has a 36-year successful history of litigating in Texas; as opposed to an office practice drafting documents in a limited area of the law, such as banking and commercial transactions. Early in Bailey’s career he took an active part in closing pornographic movies houses. Bailey has shown high moral standards in his profession. He has never been the subject of public scandal, criminal conviction or any challenge to his law license. He has also been a leader in the church of which he is a member, with both ministerial and administrative responsibilities.

Bailey is admitted to practice in all Texas Courts. He has prepared and argued numerous appellate cases before Courts of Appeals and Supreme Courts in several States. He has tried cases in several Federal District Courts and has appealed and argued cases before the Fifth, Ninth and Tenth Circuit Courts in the Federal System. Since 1988 Bailey has also been admitted to practice law before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Bailey has opted to be subject to the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act. That act requires that all political ads state that it is paid for by the Bailey For Chief Justice Campaign, in compliance with the voluntary limits of the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act of Texas.