The Tarrant County Commissioners Court seat significantly redrawn during last summer’s high-profile county redistricting is on the ballot Nov. 3, marking the first election under its new precinct boundaries.
Republican Tony Tinderholt and Democrat Jared Williams are seeking the Precinct 2 seat left open by Democrat Alisa Simmons, who is running for the court’s countywide judge seat.
Precinct 2 was the focus of last year’s unusual, mid-decade redistricting effort led and approved by the commissioners court’s three Republican members: County Judge Tim O’Hare and commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez. The adopted map, which the two Democratic commissioners voted against, reshaped Precinct 2 to favor Republican candidates ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
Tinderholt spoke in favor of the redistricting effort last year and announced his candidacy for the Precinct 2 seat moments after the new map was adopted. Williams joined protests against redistricting, described by critics as racial gerrymandering, arguing that the new map dilutes the voting power of Black and brown residents.
The court’s GOP members were clear about their goal of strengthening their conservative majority, arguing that Republican governance better serves the county. Two lawsuits challenging the new maps and alleging racial discrimination were dropped or dismissed last year, allowing the new map to go into effect.
What does a county commissioner do?
Each of the four commissioners represent a portion of the county, while the county judge represents the county overall. Commissioners serve four-year terms and make an annual salary of $227,234.80.
Each commissioner is a voting member of the commissioners court, which sets the county budget and tax rates and oversees county infrastructure such as roads and facilities, similarly to how a city council operates. Commissioners also authorize contracts and the payment of county bills, hire county personnel, establish voting precincts and call county bond elections.
Precinct 2 has been Democrat-held since 2019. Previously concentrated in Arlington and Mansfield, the precinct now covers a sprawling portion of southeast and southwest Tarrant County, including parts of Arlington and Mansfield, plus Rendon, pieces of Crowley, Benbrook, Edgecliff Village and the southern tip of Fort Worth.
In the campaign, both candidates are leaning on their past public service as local elected officials.
State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, speaks in favor of redrawing Tarrant County’s commissioners court precincts at a public hearing in Arlington on May 17, 2025. (Miranda Suarez | KERA News)
Fort Worth City Council member Jared Williams speaks to protesters before a commissioners meeting June 3, 2025, at the Tarrant County Administration Building. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)
Tinderholt, 56, is a 12-year Texas lawmaker, representing the Arlington area for six terms in the Texas House of Representatives. He is a U.S. Air Force and Army veteran.
Williams, 36, is a former Fort Worth City Council member, representing the southwest part of the city plus the majority Black neighborhood of Como for four years. He is the vice president of external affairs for the Tarrant Area Food Bank.
Williams said he wants to “build a county government that cares for its people.” His campaign promises include lowering the cost of living, ensuring “excellent” county services and protecting residents’ fundamental rights, such as the right to vote and to address elected officials during public meetings.
“We need to do everything we can in our tool belt to expand real, meaningful savings in people’s pocketbooks — expanding the homestead exemption to the maximum, making sure that we are good stewards of not only the tax rate but making sure that we are investing in solutions that save people money,” Williams said at an Oct. 7 candidate forum hosted by the Fort Worth Report.
Tinderholt did not attend the forum or submit responses to a candidate survey for the Report’s nonpartisan voter guide. He did not respond to a request for an interview or answer emailed questions.
On his campaign website, Tinderholt lists his priorities as lowering property taxes, fully funding law enforcement, eliminating waste fraud and abuse, and supporting economic growth and election integrity.
“Throughout my career, I’ve fought to protect our values, ensure responsible government, and serve the people of Texas with integrity and commitment,” Tinderholt wrote on the website. “I’m running to bring that same leadership and experience to Tarrant County.”
Tinderholt entered the race with more than $150,000 in cash on-hand and has since raised nearly $30,000 in cash contributions. As of late September, he has spent roughly $100,000 on his campaign with about $65,000 remaining in his war chest, according to his campaign finance reports.
Williams had about $7,000 in his war chest when he entered the race. Since then, he’s raised nearly $50,000 and spent about $62,000. As of late September, he had about $6,500 in remaining cash and nearly $18,000 in outstanding loans, according to his campaign finance reports.
The reshaping of Tarrant County’s Precinct 2
April 2, 2025: Tarrant County commissioners vote 3-2 to launch an unusual, mid-decade redistricting of the commissioners court’s precincts. Republican County Judge Tim O’Hare and Republican commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez vote yes, and Democratic commissioners Roderick Miles and Alisa Simmons vote no.
May 2, 2025: Simmons releases five proposals for Tarrant County’s new precinct map, which she criticizes as a “calculated attempt” to make it harder for her to win reelection in Precinct 2.
May 17, 2025: Then-state Rep. Tony Tinderholt speaks in favor of the county redistricting at a public town hall meeting, saying the precinct map should reflect Republican voting power after 51.82% of Tarrant County voters supported President Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection.
May 19, 2025: Ramirez writes in a Fort Worth Star-Telegram op-ed that he supports county redistricting to balance population growth across the four precincts and provide the opportunity for a stronger Republican majority on the commissioners court.
May 20, 2025: Fort Worth City Council votes 6-4 to oppose the county redistricting, which then-council member Jared Williams criticized as lacking transparency and community input.
May 21, 2025: Krause says at a public town hall meeting in Hurst that he supports the county redistricting because he wants another Republican on the commissioners court. May 30, 2025: O’Hare tells CBS News the county redistricting is about “partisan politics,” and says his goal is to strengthen the conservative majority by guaranteeing three Republican commissioners.
June 2, 2025: Tinderholt announces that he is stepping down from the Texas House of Representatives after six terms representing House District 94, which includes Arlington, Dalworthington Gardens, Pantego, Fort Worth, Hurst, Euless and Bedford.
June 3, 2025: Tarrant County commissioners vote 3-2 to approve a new precinct map that significantly reshapes Precinct 2 to make it more favorable to Republican candidates. Republican commissioners voted yes, while the Democrats voted no.
June 3, 2025: Tinderholt announces his candidacy for the Precinct 2 seat, moments after the new precinct map is adopted, saying he wants to “ensure responsible government and serve the people of Texas with integrity and commitment.”
June 4, 2025: A group of Tarrant County residents file a federal lawsuit over the new precinct map, accusing the county of disenfranchising Black and Latino voters.
Aug. 14, 2025: Two voting advocacy groups sue the county over the new map, saying the redistricting process violated the Texas Open Meetings Act and purposefully discriminated against Black and Latino voters.
Oct. 29, 2025: A federal appeals court judge acknowledged that the redrawn precinct map disproportionately impacted Black and Latino voters but ruled that the redistricting was motivated by partisan politics rather than racial discrimination.
Nov. 28, 2025: The advocacy groups’ lawsuit is dismissed.
Dec. 1, 2025: The group of residents withdraw their lawsuit without a clear explanation.
Dec. 8, 2025: Williams announces his candidacy for the Precinct 2 seat, saying his campaign will focus on affordability and “ensuring our government works for everyday people.” In January that year, Williams had said he would not seek reelection to Fort Worth City Council.
March 3, 2026: Tinderholt wins the Republican nomination for Tarrant County’s Precinct 2 in the primary elections. For the Democratic nomination, Williams heads to a runoff election against nonprofit leader Amanda Arizola after a three-way primary race also featuring candidate Gabe Rivas.
May 26, 2026: Williams wins the Democratic nomination for Precinct 2 in a runoff election against Arizola.
Nov. 3, 2026: Tinderholt and Williams face off for the Precinct 2 seat.
January 2027: The Precinct 2 winner takes office.
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
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