As Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump took the stage Tuesday night for their first presidential debate, Tarrant County voters on both sides of the political aisle filed into local restaurants to tune in.
The Fort Worth Young Republicans gathered inside Enchiladas Ol茅 on Camp Bowie Boulevard to cheer on Trump. Down Interstate 30 to the east, members of the Arlington Mid-Cities Democrats enjoyed drinks and Irish nachos at J. Gilligan鈥檚 Bar and Grill in downtown Arlington.
The Sept. 10 watch parties drew about three dozen spectators to Enchiladas Ol茅 and about the same number to J. Gilligan鈥檚 鈥� a small snapshot of the nearly 1.3 million people to vote in Tarrant County. The once deeply red county is now for both parties after voters Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Watch party attendees interviewed by the Report on Tuesday night said they saw the presidential debate having little effect on those voters who were still undecided on which candidate to support.
At Enchiladas Ol茅, the group kicked off its watch party with remarks from Jake Lloyd Colglazier, president of the Fort Worth Young Republicans, and Michael Barber, a candidate for the Tarrant County Precinct 1 commissioner seat. In addition to Barber, the watch party drew Carlos Turcios, director of Texas Latinos United for Conservative Action, and Paul Lemon, Fort Worth city captain for Trump鈥檚 2016 and 2020 presidential campaign.
鈥淧resident Donald Trump did a great job. He鈥檚 going back to the White House this November,鈥� Colglazier told the Report after the debate ended. 鈥淚 believe the election will send him back to the White House in January, and I think that we will make America great again. The Fort Worth Young Republicans stand behind him totally, and we鈥檒l do whatever we can to get him reelected.鈥�
Colglazier declined to answer specific questions about the debate.
Throughout their watch party, members of the Fort Worth Young Republicans cheered and clapped at Trump鈥檚 comments while booing Harris鈥� remarks. Harris鈥� accusations that Trump instigated the were met with eye rolls and scoffs around the room.
In Arlington, spectators gathered in a neon sign-decorated room to watch the presidential debate. Attendees sat around tables drinking beers, eating Irish nachos 鈥� a popular item on the restaurant鈥檚 menu 鈥� or keeping tabs on candidate remarks with election bingo cards on the tables.
James Garner, 53, traveled to Arlington from his hometown near Mansfield to watch the presidential debate. As he watched with fellow Democrats in the restaurant, he reminisced about when he worked for the Bill Clinton campaign as a college student. Now, his son is eligible to vote.
Garner said he was watching for moderators to hold candidates responsible for accurate responses.
鈥淭here should be accountability on both sides,鈥� Garner said. 鈥淚 want to hear something from him (Donald Trump) other than nicknames that he makes up and misinformation.鈥�
Kat Cano, 35, was sitting at one of the tables next to Garner. The Fort Worth resident considers herself an 鈥渆lection nerd,鈥� and is an action director for the Tarrant County Democratic Women鈥檚 Club.
One of the issues Tarrant County struggles with is voter apathy, Cano said. She hopes that undecided voters will gain some enthusiasm to go to the polls after watching the debate.
鈥淚f we can actually get people to turn out, we could flip this county blue all the way down the ballot,鈥� Cano said. 鈥淚 think that her (Kamala Harris鈥�) focus on joy and enthusiasm and world progress, instead of wallowing in the past and old resentments, is really exciting for people.鈥�
Ethan Smith, 53, joined Garner and Cano in watching the debate at J. Gilligans. The Fort Worth resident said he appreciated how various people from the community came together to watch the two candidates Tuesday night.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to have a community come together to watch this because that鈥檚 part of what she is running on 鈥� that we are all together and we aren鈥檛 isolated,鈥� he said.
Outside of the Democrats鈥� watch party was Aubree Campbell, who also goes by Aubree Seas. The 35-year-old Arlington resident said she originally voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election but became more during his time in office.
By voting for Donald Trump in 2024, Campbell said, she is thinking about protecting her daughter鈥檚 future.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 need anyone else鈥檚 money. He鈥檚 independently wealthy, and as off-putting as that can be, and as unrelatable as that can be to normal Americans, it鈥檚 relieving to know that he can鈥檛 be bought,鈥� she said.
Fort Worth residents Aidan Harrell, 18, and Reagan Cannington, 17, attended the Enchiladas Ol茅 watch party together but said they鈥檙e not members of the Fort Worth Young Republicans, which launched in May. Both dubbed Trump the winner of the debate.
Harrell, who will vote in his first presidential election this November, said he was already committed to casting his ballot for Trump, and the debate solidified his stance without adding anything new to consider.
鈥淭rump gave a strong performance. I mean, it wasn鈥檛 anything crazy. It wasn鈥檛 anything like the last debate, where he single-handedly destroyed Biden鈥檚 campaign,鈥� Harrell said.
The teens said Harris performed better than Biden did in his debate against Trump earlier this year, but added that there 鈥渨asn鈥檛 a super high bar鈥� to exceed.
For Harrell, one of the most notable points of the debate was the conversation about abortion and reproductive rights. He said he was disappointed that Trump appeared to back off his previous stance of initiating a nationwide abortion ban, but he understood why the compromise was necessary.
鈥淢ost of the country is going to be in favor of abortion, so I think it鈥檚 good politics,鈥� Harrell said. 鈥淲hile personally, I wish that he would push harder, I think it鈥檚 smart politics for him to not go too hard.鈥�
Although Cannington won鈥檛 be old enough to vote in this year鈥檚 election, he said he would wholeheartedly cast his vote for Trump if he could. He referenced the movie 鈥淭he Breakfast Club,鈥� comparing himself to actor Anthony Michael Hall鈥檚 character, who said he would use his fake ID to vote.
鈥淭hat would be me, but I know that wouldn鈥檛 work,鈥� Cannington said jokingly.
Voters will have the chance to head to the polls in just over a month. Early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1, with Election Day on Nov. 5. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 7, and the last day to apply to vote by mail is Oct. 25.
You may check to see if you鈥檙e registered to vote through the Texas Secretary of State鈥檚 .
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org or .
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org or .
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