Dallas County Commissioner Andrew Sommerman, left, and Republican challenger Barry Wernick shake hands before their debate Thursday at the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce. The two are competing for the District 2 seat in the Nov. 3 election.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Dallas County Commissioner Andrew Sommerman and Republican challenger Barry Wernick sparred Thursday over property taxes, homelessness spending and voting access in a contentious debate that turned personal, questioning each other’s records and qualifications.
Wernick accused Sommerman, a Democrat, of burdening taxpayers with higher costs and championing a proposed $100 million-a-year homelessness tax that he said lacks sufficient oversight. Sommerman said investments in housing and mental health services can reduce the burden on the jail, lower crime and save couny money.
“We cannot keep watching our neighbors move from mental health crisis to the street, from the street to the jail, from the jail to the street, and – not hope for a solution – we must have one,” Sommerman said.
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Wernick said, “We can no longer afford Andrew Sommerman or his love affair with taxes. That’s just it. It’s time for an adult in the room.”
The two are competing for the District 2 seat on the Dallas County Commissioners Court in the Nov. 3 election. The League of Women Voters and DFW Press & Media Club hosted the debate, as Sommerman seeks a second term and Wernick hopes to become the court’s lone Republican. Early voting began Monday.
Wernick, an attorney and mediator, repeatedly targeted Proposition A, which would raise property taxes by 2.4 cents per $100 of taxable value and generate an estimated $100 million annually. The measure has no automatic expiration date, and Wernick said this is a burden taxpayers struggling with costs cannot carry. Sommerman was part of the 3-2 vote to put the measure on the ballot, saying voters should decide.
Dallas County Commisssioner Andrew Sommerman. a Democrat seeking reelection.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
“We can disagree about the tax, but Mr. Wernick won’t even let you decide it,” Sommerman said. “He will decide.”
Wernick pushed back, saying state law required the county to seek voter approval. He said he would have joined the two commissioners who opposed putting the measure on the ballot.
“The government’s solution to everything is always more taxes,” Wernick said.
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Voting access
The candidates also disagreed over election procedures.
Wernick has called for ending countywide voting, which allows voters to cast a ballot at any vote center. He said requiring residents to vote in assigned neighborhood precincts protects ballot security and secrecy.
Republican Barry Wernick, running for Dallas County commisssioner, District 2.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Sommerman said the countywide system offers the convenience that allows for higher turnout. Getting rid of it, he said, would result in massive lines and people skipping the polls when they can’t make it home in time to get to their precinct.
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“That’s voter suppression,” Sommerman said. “We should not allow that. And if you elect me, I will make sure you have voting access.”
Sommerman accused Wernick of wanting to eliminate early voting. Wernick rejected that as an attempt to scare voters, saying county commissioners don’t have authority to abolish it.
Personal attacks
The debate grew increasingly personal as Sommerman raised Wernick’s past credit card lawsuit and a 2009 DWI arrest. He asked why Wernick didn’t disclose those cases in previous voter guide responses to The Dallas Morning News, which inquired about arrests and litigation.
In an interview after the debate, Wernick said the credit card lawsuit was related to an old debt with his ex-wife and he didn’t think to cite it in the survey. He disclosed his DWI in the general election survey but did not in the primary guide, calling it an oversight since the case had been dismissed.
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Before he was elected, Sommerman represented Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins in a 2021 lawsuit over a COVID-19 mask mandate for county meetings.
Wernick said Sommerman tried to conceal his role in a lawsuit “to take away our rights” during the pandemic by leaving it out of a voter guide question asking candidates about their involvement in litigation.
“I find it amusing that my opponent talking about transparency is dishonest,” Wernick said.
Sommerman said he didn’t include it because he wasn’t a party to the suit.
It was an overflow room for those watching Dallas County District 2 County Commisssioner Democratic incumbent Andrew Sommerman and Republican challenger Barry Wernick debating during a candidate forum at the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce in Dallas, October 22, 2026. The Dallas Press Club and League of Women Voters of Dallas hosted the debate.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Wernick said Sommerman fails to understand the financial pressures facing residents and promised to seek a forensic audit of county spending. Sommerman punched back that the county already has an outside auditor.
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The incumbent touted his first-term accomplishments, such as helping end “solitary confinement” in the county’s juvenile justice system and saving the county $4 million by getting rid of duplicate software.
“I run because I care what happens to you and your hard-earned dollars,” Sommerman said.
Wernick pledged to bring an independent voice to the all-Democratic commissioners court, saying no one challenging the majority is bad for the public.
“We need someone who will go to the court, be our watchdog, and fight for transparency, accountability, and most importantly, right now, affordability,” Wernick said.
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District 2 covers the north central part of the county. Early voting ends Oct. 30.