Tarrant County voters will decide in November whether to give Republican District Attorney Phil Sorrells another four years in office or elect Democratic challenger Tiffany Burks, a criminal defense attorney who is calling for changes to the county’s approach to criminal justice.

The race is a rematch from 2022, when Sorrells defeated Burks to become the county’s top prosecutor.

With Tarrant County considered a major political battleground, the election will determine who oversees criminal prosecutions in one of the fastest-growing counties in the country.

Both candidates are campaigning on public safety, but they have different priorities when it comes to prosecuting crimes, overseeing law enforcement and holding public officials accountable.

Sorrells defends record on crime

Sorrells is seeking re-election by highlighting declining crime rates and his experience in the criminal justice system.

“The biggest thing you can look at is the crime rate. The crime rate across the country. It’s down. It’s down 12 percent. It’s been down three years running. You can look at the murder rate here in Fort Worth. It’s down 40 percent,” Sorrells said.

Before becoming district attorney, Sorrells served as an assistant district attorney and spent 25 years as an elected criminal court judge.

He has the support of local law enforcement organizations and police groups that have raised concerns about whether Burks, a defense attorney, would be too lenient with criminal offenders.

Sorrells argued that his background as a prosecutor makes him the better choice to lead the district attorney’s office.

“It’s the biggest law firm in the county. Who do you want to give the keys to. Do you want to give them to a prosecutor who you know what they’re going to do. Or do you want to give it to a defense attorney,” Sorrells said.

Burks calls for new leadership and greater accountability

Burks, a former prosecutor who became a criminal defense attorney, said she would take a tough but fair approach to crime while bringing greater accountability to the district attorney’s office.

She has the support of Democratic leaders and labor groups and believes a growing segment of Tarrant County voters is dissatisfied with Republican law enforcement officials.

Burks also said she has noticed a significant increase in enthusiasm for her campaign compared with her first run in 2022.

“People are more energized. People are more interested. When I ran in 2022, trying to get some volunteers to help me was very difficult. Now we have people that are coming to me saying, ‘How can I volunteer? What can I do to get involved?’ There are churches that are getting involved,” Burks said.

If elected, Burks said she would pursue a more aggressive approach to investigating deaths involving people in law enforcement custody and increase scrutiny of the Tarrant County Jail.

She also wants to eliminate the election integrity unit established by Sorrells.

“I can’t tell you that it is broken; maybe it’s not affecting everyone in the communities. But it is affecting the community, and I think it again we need new leadership in the DA’s office,” Burks said.

A consequential election for Tarrant County

The district attorney’s race comes as Tarrant County continues to be a major political battleground, with both Republicans and Democrats competing for influence in the growing county.

While Sorrells is emphasizing his experience and record on crime, Burks is campaigning on changes to law enforcement accountability and the priorities of the district attorney’s office.

The winner in November will serve as Tarrant County’s top prosecutor for the next four years, helping determine which criminal charges are brought and how cases are prosecuted.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.