WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump nominated four candidates Tuesday to fill vacant federal judge posts in Texas, including Campbell Barker, deputy solicitor general in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office.

The four Texans were part of 12 nominees sent to the Senate by Trump on Tuesday for judge positions across the country. Thursday also marked the 10th wave of conservative candidates the president has nominated for court vacancies.

If confirmed by the Senate, Barker, Jeremy Kernodle and Michael Truncale will fill the three remaining vacancies in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas — one of the busiest courts in the country. The district extends from Denton and Collin counties to Beaumont in southeast Texas.

Austin lawyer Alan Albright would fill one of two vacancies in the Western District of Texas, where he previously served as a magistrate judge from 1992 to 1999.

Kernodle is a partner at Haynes and Boone in Dallas and a former attorney-adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel at the United States Department of Justice. Truncale is a partner at Orgain Bell and Tucker in Beaumont and was previously appointed by then-Gov. Rick Perry to serve a four-year term as a Texas State University regent.

In a news release, Paxton and Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller said they support Trump's nomination of Barker for the Eastern District . Barker joined Paxton's office in 2015.

"During his career with the DOJ, in private practice, and as deputy solicitor general in my office, Barker has established a proven record of excellence and professionalism," Paxton said.

Their nominations signaled a fresh start for the Eastern District of Texas, where controversial nominee Jeff Mateer was initially selected by Trump to fill one of the vacancies. The White House dropped the nomination of Mateer, first assistant attorney general for the state of Texas, when comments he made about transgender children came to light.

In December, Eastern District Chief Judge Ron Clark said the district, which extends from Denton and Collin counties to Beaumont, has been swamped for at least a decade with constant judicial vacancies.

"If I want to call one of my district judges on a weekend, I call them in chambers because that's where they are," Clark said. "The cases don't go away, and the citizens want their cases heard in a timely manner. The judges are trying very hard to do that."

In a statement, Texas Sen. John Cornyn said he was proud to recommend the four nominees to Trump.

"Texas will be well-served with these distinguished Texans on the bench, and I look forward to working with Sen. Cruz and the rest of our colleagues to ensure their swift confirmation in the Senate," Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican, said.