Judge Amy McCullough after swearing in Tyler Mayor-elect Don Warren during a city council meeting in November 2020.

Judge Amy McCullough announced on Monday her entry into the race for Smith County Court at Law 2.

McCullough has served as Presiding Judge for the City of Tyler Municipal Court since 2017.

“It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Tyler as Presiding Judge over the past six years,” McCullough said in a media release. “I look forward to sharing my record of constitutionally-driven decisions and tax-saving programs with the voters of Smith County.”

As Presiding Judge for the criminal court of record for the City of Tyler, McCullough handles approximately 45,000 cases annually, including theft, drug paraphernalia, assault, and alcohol-related cases. Prior to her current role, McCullough served as Assistant District Attorney in Harris County, City Attorney for the City of Pearland, and owned her own law firm.

During her time on the bench, McCullough has established a program to educate college students at Tyler Junior College, Texas College, and The University of Texas at Tyler about the Municipal Court, according to the release.

She also initiated a financial health seminar to educate defendants about basic finance skills. For this program, McCullough enlisted the help of professionals in the community who volunteer their time to facilitate these courses, which helps defendants meet their obligations to the court while saving taxpayer dollars. Also with the help of volunteers, McCullough extended juvenile programs in the court to better educate young offenders and reduce recidivism.

McCullough enters the race with an endorsement from Smith County District Attorney Jacob Putman.

“Smith County deserves excellent judges who know the law and will apply it fairly,” Putman said. “I support Judge McCullough for County Court at Law 2 because she has a proven record of handling cases efficiently, effectively, and based on the rule of law.”

McCullough is originally from Smith County and attended Tyler Junior College, where she later served as Alumni Board President. She went on to graduate from The University of Mississippi, The University of Oklahoma, and South Texas College of Law. She and her family returned to Smith County in 2006, where she has volunteered with nonprofit organizations throughout the community and served on the City of Tyler Planning and Zoning Board for five years before taking the bench at the Municipal Court.

Judge McCullough and her husband, David, have two sons: Alex, who is in his residency program for Hospital Administration at Memorial Hermann in Houston, and Hayden, who attends the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The McCulloughs are active members of Green Acres Baptist Church.