Blacklock replaces Nathan Hecht, the longest serving justice on the high court. Gov. Greg Abbott also appointed his general counsel, James Sullivan, to the bench.

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Texas Supreme Court Justice Jimmy Blacklock to be the court’s chief justice and named James Sullivan as a justice Monday.

Gov. Greg Abbott named Jimmy Blacklock as chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court following the retirement of Nathan Hecht.

Abbott originally appointed Blacklock to the high court as the Place 2 justice in 2018. Blacklock previously worked for Abbott as the governor's general counsel.

The three-term Republican attorney general said the ruling validates his claim that his office was the target of "political retaliation."

Hecht is the longest-tenured Supreme Court justice in Texas history. He won six reelections and led the court as chief justice for more than a decade.