Texas has become a reliably red state and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott just took action to help keep it that way, at least for the next two years.

On Monday, Abbott announced his appointment of a new chief justice for the Texas Supreme Court along with another new justice to fill a vacant seat on the high bench, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

Sitting Justice Jimmy Blacklock will assume the role of chief justice following the age-mandatory retirement on Dec. 31 of former Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, while Abbott's top legal advisor James Sullivan was picked to fill the resultant empty seat on the all-GOP court.

Abbott reveals Supreme Court appointments

In a statement on Monday, Gov. Abbott praised former Chief Justice Hecht for his 35-plus years on the bench and expressed gratitude for "his dedication to the rule of law and his service to our great state."

"Jimmy Blacklock has been a principled jurist while serving on the highest court in Texas and will be steadfast in his commitment to the rule of law as the Court’s next Chief Justice," the governor continued of the new chief justice who has served on the high bench since 2018.

"As General Counsel for the Office of the Governor, James Sullivan has provided superior legal advice and rendered opinions on some of the most consequential legal issues in Texas," Abbott said of the new appointee. "He has the integrity, temperament, and experience Texas needs as a Texas Supreme Court Justice."

"The Supreme Court of Texas plays a crucial role to shape the future of our great state, and Jimmy Blacklock and James Sullivan will be unwavering guardians of the Texas Constitution serving on our state's highest judicial court," he added.

The statement noted that the appointed terms of Blacklock and Sullivan will expire at the end of 2026 unless they are elected by Texas voters to continue serving on the state's top court.

Blacklock and Sullivan have the requisite experience

According to Gov. Abbott's press release, new Chief Justice Blacklock earned his legal experience as a clerk for a federal judge on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals as well as in years of private practice in the capital city of Austin and his hometown of Houston.

Prior to his initial appointment to the Texas Supreme Court in 2018, Blacklock served as Abbott's general counsel, and before that spent six years in the Texas Attorney General's Office, where he focused on litigation involving things like Obamacare, religious liberty, and the right to life.

As for Sullivan, he has been Abbott's general counsel since 2021, and prior to that served as the deputy general counsel and as an assistant solicitor general for the state.

Before working for the Texas government, Sullivan was a clerk for a federal judge on the D.C. Circuit Court, worked as an adjunct professor at George Mason University, and privately practiced appellate law.

Texas AG Paxton congratulates Blacklock and Sullivan

In reaction to the announcement of the two changes Gov. Abbott made to the Texas Supreme Court, Attorney General Ken Paxton -- who often finds himself with cases before that court -- heralded the governor's picks and signaled that they met with his approval.

"Congratulations to the newly appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas Jimmy Blacklock and to the newly appointed Justice James Sullivan," Paxton said in a post to his personal X account. "Our State will be well served by your knowledge, wisdom, and respect for the rule of law."