Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare and Precinct 2 Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons dominated their respective parties' primaries Tuesday.
O鈥橦are, the Republican county judge running for reelection, received almost 88% of the votes (116,746) with all voting centers reporting in unofficial results. Robert Buker garnered 12% of the votes (16,527).
Democratic candidate Simmons received almost 62% of the votes (105,177) while Millenium Anton Woods, Jr., with 12% (21,453). also showed U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey receiving 26% (44,809) of the votes, although
The results point to an O鈥橦are-Simmons election in November for the county judge seat that could be one of the most crucial races in Tarrant County.
鈥淲hoever wins this race is going to have even more power because the size of the city is growing,鈥� said Brent Boyea, political professor at the University of Texas at Arlington.
鈥淏ut also, just the degree of polarization in the area in Tarrant County probably means that whether it's Simmons or O鈥橦are鈥� they really have a lot of policy authority.鈥�
O鈥橦are said Tuesday night all Simmons does is 鈥渆ngage in political theater.鈥�
鈥淪he doesn鈥檛 ever offer solutions to issues. And I think Tarrant County is going to reject her racist politics and her political theater. They want somebody who can actually manage the dollars, manage an organization, and that will keep people safe. She鈥檚 always on the side of the criminal. Never on the side of law enforcement,鈥� he said.
O鈥橦are wants to focus on adding more jobs in Tarrant County for his second term.
"I鈥檇 like to see more high-quality jobs come into Tarrant County. We鈥檝e worked on that. We have seen companies come in. We鈥檝e seen companies expand, but I think we can do more,鈥� he said.
Simmons attended the Tarrant County Democratic Party鈥檚 watch party at the Stagecoach Ballroom in Fort Worth, where she arrived at about 9 p.m.
After thanking supporters, she told reporters, 鈥渢he real work, the hard work, the tough work begins now.鈥�
Heading toward the November election against O鈥橦are, Simmons said her strategy is to compare their voting records, leadership styles and community engagement while on the commissioners court.
She knows she鈥檚 鈥渄efinitely the underdog鈥� in the county judge race, particularly as a Black woman and a Democrat in historically GOP-held Tarrant County.
鈥淭his by no means will be an easy task,鈥� Simmons told the Fort Worth Report. 鈥淚 think it will be a battle royale.鈥�
She hopes to bring 鈥渘ormalcy and respect鈥� to the commissioners court, describing its current management under O鈥橦are as 鈥渆mbarrassing.鈥�
鈥淗appen to be Black, happen to be human 鈥� I鈥檓 just a human who is concerned and passionate about having county governance that works for all people,鈥� Simmons said.
鈥楩ar away factions of their parties鈥�
O鈥橦are and Simmons were elected together to the Tarrant County Commissioners Court in 2022. But the two have had several jarring disputes throughout the years and different views on multiple issues.
an 鈥渆xtremist county leader,鈥� has turned the commissioners court into 鈥渁 stage for petulant tantrums and ideological extremism.鈥�
Those stark differences will set up a clear ideological distinction between the two, said Matthew Wilson, political professor at Southern Methodist University.
鈥�O'Hare very much has risen to political prominence as a champion of a conservative ideological agenda in local governments,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淎lisa Simmons will definitely be the standard bearer of the left in the race.鈥�
One of Tarrant County鈥檚 most hardline conservative elected leaders, O鈥橦are set a new tone for commissioners court meetings through strict meeting decorum rules limiting topics they can ask for briefings on and cutting meeting from twice a month to just once 鈥� all things Simmons disagrees with.
He proposed an unusual mid-decade redistricting map of the county precincts meant to be more GOP-friendly. Despite backlash from residents and two lawsuits, the map was passed last year. Simmons said the map discriminates against Black and Latino voters.
Simmons previously said the court is too focused on partisan fighting and her priorities as county judge would include fiscal stability, mental and behavioral health, and accountability over jail operations and deaths from the sheriff鈥檚 office.
She鈥檚 called for briefings from the sheriff鈥檚 office over multiple in-custody deaths, to which Sheriff Bill Waybourn said he would stop attending last September.
Meanwhile, O'Hare emphasizes his 鈥渃lear record of delivering conservative results鈥� during his term through lowering property taxes, raising the homestead exemption and assuring pay raises for law enforcement officers, and "restoring limited government."
Additionally, part of O鈥橦are鈥檚 new policy for commissioners limiting certain topics from being added to the meeting agendas included jail death briefings.
鈥�They are coming from not just different parties, but they're coming from far away factions of their parties,鈥� Boyea said. 鈥淭here are strong disagreements. Whether we're talking about redistricting, whether we're talking about aspects of redistricting that might get involved with race and not just that. It's personal interactions.鈥�
Political standoff
Tarrant County is Texas鈥� biggest battleground when it comes to politics.
With a population of more than 2 million people, it鈥檚 been a big swing county between voting for Republican or Democratic candidates in other major elections.
The county voted for Beto O鈥橰ourke for U.S. Senate in 2018 and Joe Biden for president in 2020 but has historically voted for Republican leaders 鈥� including its current sheriff, district clerk, district attorney and county judge.
鈥�Republicans will want to continue their narrative of holding on to power in Tarrant County, saying that, despite its urban character, is a bulwark for conservative values,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淒emocrats will want point to gains there to say that they are eroding that last bastion of urban Republican strength in Texas.鈥�
Taylor Rehmet鈥檚 recent Democratic win of the Texas Senate District 9 seat, which represents a portion of northeast Tarrant County, has once again brought a sign of a pushback against the rightward move of Tarrant County, Wilson said.
O'Hare previously lamented Rehmet's win for the seat long held by the GOP.
Tuesday night, he noted that Republicans can sometimes get complacent, especially when the party controls the White House and Congress.
鈥淪o we鈥檙e going to raise more money than we鈥檝e ever raised in Tarrant County, and we鈥檙e going to have a more robust ground game than we鈥檝e ever had in Tarrant County. And I鈥檓 confident 鈥� when all it鈥檚 said and done 鈥� November, Tarrant County will still be a bright red flag.鈥�
And if Democrats are considered the minority compared to how many other county leaders are Republican, that doesn't mean the county judge position wouldn鈥檛 be any less powerful if Simmons were to win, Boyea said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 enthusiasm because they're the out party,鈥� Boyea said. 鈥淭hey have the chance to make a change.鈥�
鈥淒emocrats are going to have some wind behind their sails. Whether that's enough to get Simmons elected over here, that's possible.鈥�
Election day is Nov. 3.
This story has been updated to reflect unofficial results from all voting centers.
Additional reporting by Fort Worth Report reporting fellow
Nicole Williams Quezada.
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
Penelope Rivera is 四虎影院's Tarrant County Accountability Reporter. Got a tip? Email Penelope Rivera at privera@kera.org.
四虎影院 is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider . Thank you.
