Election cabinets are stored Tarrant County Elections Warehouse on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026.
Amanda McCoy
FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
In Tarrant County, the district clerk race is between 32-year incumbent Republican Tom Wilder and Democratic challenger Nathan Smith.
The district clerk manages most of the business operations for 28 elected courts, 22 associate judges and 50 magistrates in Tarrant County dealing with civil, family and criminal cases, per the county website.
Election Day is Nov. 3 and early voting runs from Oct. 19-30.
Here’s how both candidates responded to the Star-Telegram’s questionnaire ahead of the election.
Tom Wilder
City of residence: Bedford
Campaign website: *Under Construction- see Facebook: Tom.Wilder.378
Best way for voters to reach you: dclerk@tarrantcounty.com, Facebook: Facebook: Tom.Wilder.378, Twitter: @TomWilder1995
Occupation: Tarrant County District Clerk – 1995 to Present
Education: University of Dallas 1961-1963; University of North Texas 1964-1965; 863 hours of continuing education specifically designed for District Clerk and required by law – University of Texas Law School, V.G. Young Institute (Texas A&M), Texas District Court Alliance
Have you run for elected office before? Tarrant County Commissioner Precinct 3 – 1984; Lost by .45%
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Tarrant County.
Chamber Member- Mid-Cities Pacesetters Rotary Club (1983) Past President and Paul Harris Fellow; Northeast Leaders Forum – Member 20+ Years. Top 100 business and political leaders in NE Tarrant County. Previous member of Lions Club, Chamber of Commerce
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain. NO
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain. No Bankruptcy. Like all Elected Officials, have been sued while in office; won all except one over 32 years.
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
1. Kelly Hart Law Firm PAC
2. Mary Ann Auld – Managing partner, KHH
3. Dee Kelly Jr. – Attorney / Partner
Why are you seeking this office?
Continue to use technology and motivated employees to enhance cost-efficient operation of one of the oldest offices in government (13th Century).
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
Replacement of Court Case Management System (JIMS): Approach: Civil, Family, Juvenile and Accounting began 6/2025 funded by District Clerk 216 Fund (Not General Fund money). The remainder was funded 7/14/26 again from the 216 Fund (Not General Fund money) and approved by Commissioners Court. Completion of project expected in early 2028. It will improve efficiency and security. Renovate Justice Center: District Clerk will move deputies from floors 5, 6, 7, and 8 to the 3rd floor reducing floor space occupied to less than total currently occupied. The change will create better communication and management oversight and strengthen security.
Decrease Turnover of County Employees: County employees have been in bottom 1/3rd of local market according to multiple surveys by nationally known company Korn Ferry.
How will you measure your success as district clerk?
Replacing old court case management software – due to be completed April 2028. Consolidation of 5 floors into one clerk’s office in Justice Center, now approved and planning. Better security also approved.
Why should voters choose you over your opponent?
32 years award winning experience vs. -0- for opponent. FWST has endorsed every time they did endorsements. Awards were for cost-effective management.
What can be improved in the district clerk’s office and how do you plan on doing so?
See Above.: New computer system funded with no general fund money and approved with commendation from County Judge- July 14, 2026 – Under construction using business experience to consolidate offices that I inherited.
Nathan Smith
City of residence: Mansfield, TX
Campaign website: nathan4tarrant.com
Best way for voters to reach you: nathan@nathan4tarrant.com
Occupation: Non-profit director
Education: Bachelor’s- University of San Diego, Masters Professional Studies- Penn State
Have you run for elected office before? No
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Tarrant County.
I was a staffer in Tarrant County government for Commissioner Alisa Simmons. In that role, I served as her primary policy advisor, with a particular focus on the county criminal justice system and working to prevent jail deaths. I have also served as a precinct chair for the Tarrant County Democratic Party, working particularly hard to help elect a slate of diverse, highly-qualified school board candidates in Mansfield ISD to replace those whose campaigns were bankrolled by a far-right organization. I also served a stint as the chair of the Tarrant County Democratic Party’s Communications Committee. On the advocacy and community organizing side, I have repeatedly advocated in front of Arlington City Council and Tarrant Commissioners Court on multiple issues.
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain. No
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain. A civil lawsuit. While in uniform, I was the plaintiff in the lawsuit Smith v. Obama/Trump. This lawsuit questioned the legal authority of the counter-ISIS war which was proceeding without congressional authorization under both presidents. It was not a partisan action (the lawsuit went against both a Democratic and Republican president). I felt that my oath to the Constitution as a U.S. Army officer and the Constitution’s mandate that Congress be the branch of government to declare war necessitated that I ask the federal courts about its legality. Had the courts taken my case more seriously, I believe unilateral presidential warmaking would have been checked, and we could quite possibly have avoided the disastrous and idiotic war being conducted by President Trump in Iran without Congressional authorization which is currently driving up prices for all Americans.
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
Mario Perez, Matt Angle, Northeast Democrats (club)
Why are you seeking this office?
I feel I am uniquely positioned to understand the role of the District Clerk thanks to my county government experience. This role is relatively obscure but incredibly important, and I believe the incumbent has not performed it effectively for his three decades in office. This is contributing to some of the largest problems we see emanating from county government, including deadly and expensive jail overcrowding, and the near collapse of a crucial software system that underpins our county court system. I believe I have the experience necessary both in working for and with local government, and in leadership as a former U.S. Army officer, to get at fixing many of these complex problems.
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
1) Establish a District Clerk presence at all magistration hearings, as required by Texas law. This hearing sets the tone for everything that happens to an arrested person pre-trial, including whether or not they will await trial in the county jail. The District Clerk’s office should be responsible for ensuring proper information flow to the magistrate judge at that hearing so that a proper bond decision can be reached. The incumbent has refused to participate in this crucial responsibility. I believe that this failure is indirectly contributing to jail deaths and overcrowding.
2) Track and make transparent data that demonstrate the efficiency or lack thereof of the county court system. The public should be able to see where snags in the justice system are occurring and people are waiting unacceptably long periods for trial (particularly those waiting in jail).
3) Streamline the jury summons process so members of the public are not unnecessarily reporting for canceled trials.
How will you measure your success as district clerk?
By whether or not I can act in concert with the other newly-elected Democratic county officials who I believe will be assuming office with me to greatly reduce the deaths occurring in the Tarrant County Jail. I believe this can be accomplished through systemic reforms of many of the current failed criminal justice practices at play in Tarrant County, including in the magistration hearings.
Why should voters choose you over your opponent?
My opponent has had over three decades in office to solve the problems I highlighted, and yet they have worsened. He has demonstrated repeated incompetence by being one of the most often sued District Clerks in the state, despite being the highest paid. He has helped preside over a decade+, more than $26 million failed IT project whose continued instability threatens crucial court functions. He has also regularly spoken at events for the True Texas Project, a group which the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated as an anti-government group, and one that has featured events on racist topics such as the “war on white America.” This affiliation is in itself disqualifying for a Tarrant County elected official.
What can be improved in the district clerk’s office and how do you plan on doing so?
Eliminate unnecessary fees that the District Clerk is currently charging the public. It is within his discretion to do away with the $120 sign-up fee and $35 monthly fee that he is currently charging the public to view their own case documents. I will abolish this immediately, as it doesn’t exist in other large Texas counties. Transparency is the other area most lacking currently in the District Clerk’s operations. This can be solved by creating public facing dashboards of judicial processes as has already been discussed. It can also be helped by conducting an extensive review of the TechShare software system currently underpinning the courts and failing frequently. The results of this review should be made available to the public.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Rachel Royster is a news and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, specifically focused on Tarrant County. She joined the newsroom after interning at the Austin American-Statesman, the Waco Tribune-Herald and Capital Community News in DC. A Houston native and Baylor grad, Rachel enjoys traveling, reading and being outside. She welcomes any and all news tips to her email.