Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed his former general counsel and current Texas Supreme Court Justice, Jimmy Blacklock as the next chief justice of the court.

Blacklock is replacing retired Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, while Abbott's legal adviser James Sullivan takes the open spot on the bench.

The longest-serving chief justice in the Supreme Court of Texas is retiring on New Year's Eve. Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, the 27th chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, will retire from the court on Dec.

Abbott originally appointed Blacklock to the high court as the Place 2 justice in 2018. Abbott's general counsel James Sullivan will replace Blacklock as a new justice.

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.

Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday appointed one of his office's former lawyers to the Texas Supreme Court and another to replace the court's Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, who retired last month. Abbott's general counsel James P.