Candidates Tim O’Hare and Alisa Simmons sat down with WFAA ahead of the Nov. 3 election in Texas.

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Tarrant County is expected to be one of the pivotal battlegrounds of the Nov. 3 midterm election in Texas.

It’s the largest Republican-led county in the United States. And the battle for the county’s top spot is one of WFAA’s key races.



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Republican Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare and his Democratic opponent Alisa Simmons, who currently serves as the Precinct 2 County Commissioner, sat down with WFAA to talk about their campaign priorities before early voting begins on Oct. 19. 


Tim O’Hare 

See incumbent Tim O’Hare’s full interview with WFAA below: 

Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare is working to keep his seat as the county’s top elected official in November’s midterm election. O’Hare, a Republican who leads the Commissioners Court, has made property tax relief, affordability and public safety key issues in his campaign.

“Commercials, texting, block walking events,” O’Hare said, describing his campaign efforts.

O’Hare says keeping residents safe is one of his priorities and a key difference between him and his Democratic opponent.

“Make sure that we live in a place where there’s not smash and grabs, where the law is followed, where the law is enforced, so we will always fund our law enforcement,” O’Hare said.

Tarrant County leaders have faced criticism from advocates over deaths at the county jail. According to jail death protest groups, 64 people have died at the jail in the last 10 years.

O’Hare compared the jail’s death numbers with deaths at JPS Hospital, which the county contracts to provide medical services to county inmates. He also characterized criticism of Sheriff Bill Waybourn as politically motivated.

“Nobody’s pointing fingers at people dying in the hospital. Why do you think that is? Well, they know why it is. The reason is it’s a partisan issue designed to smear a good man in Sheriff Bill Waybourn,” O’Hare said. “That’s what it is. No matter what you wish it was or what you want it to be.”

Chaotic Commissioners Court meetings, including some arrests, have also become an issue raised by voters. O’Hare says maintaining order during the meetings is part of his job.

“Don’t like the crazy disruptions and throwing fits and dropping to the ground like a wet noodle. And that’s the role of county judge: to make sure you maintain decorum,” O’Hare said.

“My job as county judge, just like the mayor of a city, just like the speaker of the house, just like the Pro Tem of the senate, your job is to maintain decorum, maintain order in the meetings. People want order in the meetings.”

One of the most contentious election issues is the decision by Republican members of Commissioners Court to cut 92 polling locations for the midterm elections.

O’Hare says the cuts will save money and that voters will still have plenty of opportunities to cast their ballots.

“A polling site on average, is about $4,500 a site. We had polling places in ’24 that had single-digit votes,” O’Hare said.


Alisa Simmons

See Alisa Simmons’ full interview with WFAA below: 

County Commissioner Alisa Simmons is working to unseat O’Hare in November. Simmons has made public accountability, voting access, public safety and responsible government key issues in her campaign.

“We’ve been phone banking for months. We’ve been canvassing since May,” Simmons said of her campaign efforts.

Simmons says keeping residents safe is a priority and pushes back against claims about her support for law enforcement, saying she has voted to approve equipment requested by the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office.

“In June of 2024, in January of 2026, in June of 2026, I voted yes for all protective, tactical equipment that was requested by the sheriff’s office,” Simmons said.

Simmons says the county needs to do more to address deaths at the jail, raising questions about the roles of the Sheriff’s Office, JPS Hospital and MHMR of Tarrant County, which provides mental health services.

“Get the sheriff’s office the tools they need to hopefully put an end to the high number of deaths we are seeing in the jail,” Simmons said.

She added that responsibility extends beyond the Sheriff’s Office.

“Because not saying everything is a sheriff’s fault. I have questions about John Peter Smith (JPS) Hospital’s role in caring for the folks in our jail. I have serious questions about MHMR of Tarrant County and what it is doing and not doing in that jail; there is a problem. It’s the sheriff’s office, it’s JPS, it’s MHMR. It’s all of them, and overarching, it’s the commissioner’s court.”

Simmons has criticized how O’Hare handles public participation during Commissioners Court meetings, saying residents have been removed over minor violations of speaking-time limits.

“If a constituent goes three seconds over their time limit, he makes the decision to have the deputies come and physically remove that person,” Simmons said.

Simmons also says voters are upset about the loss of polling locations and has made voting access a key campaign issue.

“They realize that their local governing body has taken away their polling places, and people are upset about that,” Simmons said.

Both candidates are working to win voter support ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3. O’Hare is seeking to retain his position as Tarrant County judge, while Simmons is campaigning to replace him.


When is early voting and Election Day in Texas? 

The first day for early voting in Texas is Oct. 19 and polls will be open through Oct. 30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

READ: Voter Guide: What to know about Nov. 3 midterm election in North Texas