Meet the Youngest County Judge in Sterling County's History

The youngest county judge in the history of Sterling County was sworn-in Sunday. The young Republican endured two campaigns, write-in candidacies from citizens who thought her too young and inexperienced to get there, on her path to victory.

Leslie Mackie, mother of four, squeaked into office with 51 percent of the vote last November. That one percent margin is important when you consider that only 478 people voted in the rural Texas county that’s sandwiched between Midland, Big Spring, San Angelo, and Abilene in the west Texas oil fields.

“I’m in my early 30s and I have four kids. I do feel a little older than I am,” Mackie explained. Most of the families who reside in Sterling County have small businesses established and have lived there forever. For Mackie, who grew up in San Angelo, her connection is her husband, Royal T. Mackie; friends call him “R.T.”, who works his grandfather R.T. Foster’s sprawling ranch there.

Mackie said she ran on a platform to find common sense solutions to the challenges facing her rural county. “Conservative spending, and let’s keep everything running smoothly,” Mackie said of her platform.

For example, the oil field has brought more transient truck traffic through the county, increasing commerce at the expense of safety on the highways. Her priorities are to finish the road improvements initiated by her predecessor, Judge Ralph Sides. “I am so fortunate that my predecessor has everything running smoothly,” Mackie said of Sides.

Mackie, whose mother is Penny Roberts, the charismatic County Court-at-Law Judge who doesn’t suffer fools easily, said her upbringing instilled within her a desire for service to her community. As the youngest sitting judge in the history of Sterling County, she has her chance.