Tim O’Hare has been sworn in as the county judge for Tarrant County after winning the recent election.
In his new role, O’Hare will lead the Tarrant County Commissioners Court in managing and governing the county, including Fort Worth — Texas’ fifth largest city. O’Hare replaces Glen Whitley, who retired after holding the office for 27 years.
After taking the oath of office, O’Hare tweeted, “At 1:45 p.m., the honor of a lifetime was made official as I took the oath of office to become Tarrant County Judge. Thank you for putting your trust in me.”
“I ask for your prayers while in office and will do my best to serve you well,” he continued. “May God bless America, Texas, & Tarrant County.”
The following day, the newly inaugurated Judge O’Hare explained to The Dallas Express, “Yesterday was a great experience. Getting to be sworn in in front of a really large crowd in front of the old courthouse steps, and having my wife and our four kids there with us, and having friends involved in the ceremony — it was a really special day.”
Speaking about his priorities as county judge, O’Hare noted, “I want to provide significant property tax cuts. I want to make us the safest large county in America, and I want to make sure Tarrant County is a place where freedom is celebrated and people know the American dream is alive and well.”
Judge O’Hare also explained that he would be working with officials during the upcoming legislative session to promote additional political items as well, ranging from economic to social issues.
“At the end of the day, if property taxes are getting too high, well … set limits on appraisals. We have a 10% appraisal cap — lower it,” O’Hare suggested. “There’s a lot of ways you can deal with this and address this, not to mention buying down taxes through the incredible surplus that they have at the state now.”
Additionally, he said, “We need to take border security as seriously or more seriously than we’ve ever taken it.”
The judge then mentioned the devastating effects fentanyl proliferation has had on Tarrant County and the surrounding areas.
Referring to several bills filed in the legislature addressing the issue, Judge O’Hare expressed his opinion: “No one should be able to mutilate a child’s body. … We have male; we have female. The end. I am 100% in favor of making the mutilation of children a crime.”
Comparing Tarrant to neighboring Dallas County, Judge O’Hare claimed, “Tarrant County is a far more conservative place where faith, family, and freedom are celebrated.”
“As long as I am county judge, we will never shut down churches, schools, and business again,” he asserted. “If people want to live in a place that celebrates faith, family, and freedom, Tarrant County is the place to move.”
In Dallas County, incumbent Judge Clay Jenkins, who enacted sweeping lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, took the oath of office to begin his third term as county judge.
“Fired up for four more years! We have a host of opportunities and a few challenges. We will do our best by working together with compassion, equity, science, and data as our guide,” Jenkins remarked.
Jenkins faced a challenge for the position during the past election cycle. He was embattled by lawsuits related to COVID lockdowns, skepticism about his controversial business practices, and criticism following revelations of his allegedly wearing blackface in college.
Nevertheless, Jenkins won reelection by a large margin, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
