Former Tarrant County Elections Administrator Heider Garcia is taking on the same job in Dallas County and will start work on Dec. 20.
His hire was approved at a Dallas County Election Commission meeting on Wednesday. Dallas County Elections administrator Michael Scarpello, who's held the job since December 2020, recently decided he would retire.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, who chairs the Election Commission, said Garcia 鈥渉as a proven track record of running excellent elections.鈥�
Scarpello said Garcia will inherit 鈥渁 really good staff鈥� with no vacancies.
After the state Legislature , Dallas County now has the biggest elections office in the state, Garcia said 鈥� and he feels humbled by the opportunity to lead it.
"Dallas has to be a leader," Garcia told 四虎影院. "Dallas has to have a presence in setting an example of best practices, of problem solving, of innovation."
Garcia left his Tarrant County job in June. He wrote in his that a meeting with Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare had revealed their difference in values.
鈥淛udge O鈥橦are, my formula to 鈥榓dminister a quality transparent election鈥� stands on respect and zero politics; compromising on these values is not an option for me,鈥� Garcia wrote in the letter. 鈥淵ou made it clear in our last meeting that your formula is different, thus, my decision to leave. I wish you the best; Tarrant County deserves that you find success.鈥�
Garcia had been Tarrant County's elections administrator since 2018. O鈥橦are became county judge in January, and not long after he was elected created an Election Integrity Task Force that was intended to prosecute election crimes 鈥� even though Garcia's office had gotten high marks in a Texas Secretary of State audit of the 2020 general election.
After Garcia's resignation, 四虎影院 contacted O'Hare for comment.
"As County Judge and Chair of the Tarrant County Election Commission, I want nothing more than quality, transparent elections in Tarrant County Supporting the creation of an Election Integrity Task Force was all about quality, transparent elections. Mr. Garcia voluntarily resigned his position, and I wish him well in his future endeavors," O'Hare said.
On Wednesday, Garcia declined to share details about his meeting with O'Hare, but reiterated what he wrote in his resignation letter.
"I felt that I was presented with things that were like, you don't do that. You don't ask this from election officials, so I'm not your guy. I'm out," Garcia said.
To Garcia, elections offices need to be insulated from politics to be successful.
"I think in any county, if politicians keep politics away from elections offices, it won't matter if it's a blue or red or purple county," he told 四虎影院.
Scarpello said Garcia has a technical background and the "election know-how to navigate the sometimes-political waters of Texas.鈥�
Dallas and Tarrant counties are different political landscapes. Dallas has voted heavily Democratic, and Tarrant is more of a Republican stronghold.
Garcia was the target of death threats and racist attacks after the 2020 elections, as well as far-right conspiracy theories. His battle against election misinformation got him national attention.
In Dallas County, Garcia said he plans to be as he was in Tarrant County.
"I would never give up on that. I think I was convinced from day one that was the way to go. And I still I'm convinced that is the way to go," he said.
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