Breckenridge Texan

By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

This morning, March 9, Michael Roach announced his official resignation from the Stephens County Judge position, effective April 30, 2026, and the County Commissioners voted to appoint Will Thompson to fulfill the rest of the term, through the end of the year.

Thompson recently won the Republican Party nomination for County Judge for the November election. There is no Democratic Party nominee, but independent and write-in candidates have several months to file paperwork pertaining to their intent to run, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s website. One potential candidate filed the necessary “Declaration of Intent to Run as an Independent Candidate” at the end of last year and has until June 25 to file a candidate application and petition of nomination. Additionally, anyone who wants to run as a write-in candidate for the County Judge or any other position needs to file the necessary paperwork between July 20 and Aug. 17.

Will Thompson, who won the Republican Party nomination to run for Stephens County Judge last week, accepted the Commissioners Court’s appointment to fulfill the rest of Michael Roach’s term as county judge. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Thompson is currently the chief appraiser with the Stephens County Appraisal District.

In announcing his resignation, Roach presented a letter to the commissioners explaining that he has accepted a position with the law firm McCreary, Veselka, Bragg & Allen, in central Texas.

“Serving the citizens of Stephens County has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” he said in the letter. “I am deeply grateful for the trust that the people of this county placed in me and for the opportunity to work alongside the Commissioners Court, county employees, and community leaders to serve the public and strengthen our county government.”

Click here to read the letter in full.

In addition to submitting the letter, Roach also addressed the court and those in attendance, further detailing his reason for leaving the position before the end of the term.

“One thing I didn’t cover in (the letter) that I probably should clarify is that last year, when I announced that I wouldn’t be running for re-election, I said I would serve to the end of my term, which the end of my term is 12-31, it’s the end of this fiscal year. But I hope all of you can appreciate the fact that when you’re leaving one career in the middle of a guy’s life, (at age) 49, and starting another … opportunities, you just don’t ever know when they’re going to come up,” he said. “And if I serve to the end of the year, the opportunity I have today may or may not be available. It’s a position that I really dreamed of when I was in law school. I’ll still be assisting county and city governments and school districts across Texas, and it’s something that I have a passion to do, and that opportunity is here. And so I’m going to be going against my word a little bit by leaving early or offering to leave early, and I’m sorry for that, but … you do the best (you can).”

Roach pointed out that he purposely waited until after the Primary Election last week to officially announce his early resignation. “I felt it was important for the people of Stephens County to have a voice and for the Republican Party (to choose) who they wanted to put on the ballot in November. So once that was done, then I’m done,” he said.

The four commissioners voted to accept Roach’s resignation and then went into a closed-door executive session to discuss the process for filling the vacancy created by Roach’s resignation.

When they returned from executive session, Thompson was nominated and approved by the commissioners to begin serving in the position at the of April; Roach abstained from the vote. Thompson will serve until the end of the year and then afterwards if he wins the November election.

After the meeting, Thompson said he is honored and humbled by their support to go ahead and put him in office.

“My goals and priorities for the first year (are) going to be to stay true to what Michael’s put in place and work with the commissioners till I get my feet on the ground and get my training behind me. … The first year it’s a lot of that, getting everything in place so I can run the court and all those things,” he said, adding that the county is in “great shape.”

Roach also talked to the Breckenridge Texan after the meeting and expressed relief about the morning’s decisions. “I do feel relieved by the fact that Will (Thompson) is stepping in there. I think he’s a qualified candidate, and it seemed like a good chunk of Republican (Party) felt that way as well,” he said. “And so knowing that the county will be in good hands, and Will’s got talents and skills that I don’t have, he’ll take the county to the next level. I’m excited about that. So I think today I’m more relieved about that, that county is in good hands.”

Cutline, top photo: Stephens County Judge Michael Roach, center, submitted his official resignation to the Stephens County Commissioners this morning, March 9. He will leave the position at the end of April. Pictured, clockwise from front left, are Mark McCullough, Precinct 2 Commissioner; David Fambro, Precinct 1 Commissioner; Roach; Will Warren, Precinct 3 Commissioner; and Tanner Wade, Precinct 4 Commissioner. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)