Tarrant County Commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday to adopt a new district map, giving Republicans an advantage on the county commissioners court. 

“I don’t apologize for being a Republican; I don’t apologize for conservative values,” said Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare in the June 3 commissioners’ meeting, attended by The Dallas Express. “I never ever, on anything I vote on, think I’m doing this for the Republicans. I think the things that I stand for and ask for are good for everyone.”

After hours of public comment and deliberation, the Tarrant County Commissioners passed a redistricting measure on June 3. O’Hare and County Commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez voted in favor, and County Commissioners Roderick Miles Jr. and Alisa Simmons voted against. 

The commissioners adopted “map 7” out of multiple possible options. District 1 – which previously ran from Tarrant County’s southwest corner to north of Arlington – now reaches from south-central Tarrant County to north of Arlington, then across the county’s southeast border. The map also reshapes District 2 – which previously contained Arlington and Mansfield – to reach from Arlington, across the south side of the county, and up to Benbrook. 

The county commissioners met on June 3 at 10 a.m. to consider the redistricting proposal. So many residents showed up that they filled the room, and deputies had to keep crowds – including several local journalists – waiting in the hall outside until there was enough space. 

Racist Maps Or Good Government? 

Public comment started close to 11 a.m. and lasted until after 2:15 p.m. Many residents opposed the redistricting plan, claiming it was “racist” and “gerrymandering.”

“Even Stevie Wonder can see that these maps are racist,” said Ebony Turner, who unsuccessfully ran for the Texas state House in 2024. 

Turner called the maps “gerrymandering” and suggested they could violate the Voting Rights Act and 14th Amendment. Another young lady approached the microphone to call the commissioners supporting redistricting “sore Confederate losers with no shame.”

“When you disenfranchise voters by gerrymandering, you undermine our democracy,” said League of Women Voters Tarrant County President Janet Mattern at the meeting. “When the people have no say in creating these maps, then you cannot say that they are created in the interests of the people.”

O’Hare ordered deputies to remove several attendees who violated decorum or spoke over their time, including a young woman wearing a keffiyeh – the black and white garment associated with Palestine and the terror group Hamas. 

 

Many others, however, supported the redistricting measure as a way to ensure conservative governance. 

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A man who identified himself as Joe Jordan said he supported “whatever turns out to be the most conservative” map. Another said the redistricting plan “will ensure that our elected officials are truly accountable to the people” and will help compensate for the county’s growth as the population recently surpassed 2.2 million. True Texas Project President Fran Rhodes supported redistricting as “important” and suggested Map 7. 

A statement on behalf of State Rep. Nate Schatzline was delivered by his district director: “It is only right that our county representation reflects that conservative majority. We must ensure our voices are accurately represented,” Schatzline’s statement read. “We urge the commissioners to continue supporting this fair and transparent redistricting effort and encourage all conservatives to stay engaged and help secure strong, accurate representation for our future.”

 

Debating The Merits

Miles and Simmons were the measure’s most vocal opponents on the commission. 

Miles called for further deliberation, adding that other commissioners “could have called” to speak with him about the proposed maps. 

“It appears that race discrimination against blacks, Hispanics, and other racial minorities in Tarrant County is a substantial factor in the decision to redistrict mid-decade and to adopt this map,” Miles said. 

Simmons explained that the proposed maps would “put the majority of the communities of color in one precinct” and remove the “key economic engines.”

“It’s racial gerrymandering. It’s intentional discrimination,” Simmons said. 

County commissioners approved an agreement in April to consult with the conservative law firm Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) on redistricting. PILF lawyers were in the building at the time of the meeting but had planned to be in a back room for the commissioners’ consultation. 

Simmons demanded the PILF lawyers come before the public meeting for questioning. She apparently attempted to filibuster the meeting until O’Hare called a recess. 

“They’re going to bring their butts out here, and stand at that podium, and answer my questions,” she said. “I’m going to continue speaking until they make their way out here.” 

Arlington Mayor Jim Ross and Mansfield Mayor Michael Evans expressed concerns over the plan, suggesting future legal challenges. Ross said he was concerned the plan could violate “state and federal law.” Evans said he agreed with commissioners that redistricting is important “but not by any means necessary.” 

“My concern is with ensuring that the current county process is compliant with the law,” Evans said. “The current proposal maps could be subject to challenges at both the state and federal level.”

Fort Worth passed a resolution last month condemning Tarrant County’s redistricting efforts, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. Ten mayors—including Ross, Evans, and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker—also signed a letter opposing the redistricting plan on May 10. 

Two of the mayors later withdrew their signatures after conducting further research, and several others have continued to support the redistricting plan. 

Krause thanked those mayors for the “courageous move,” adding that the letter operated on “flawed information.” He also explained the legal basis for the redistricting proposal in the state election code. 

“It’s a simple read. It’s a simple exception that they should have been able to find really clearly,” Krause said. “So to me, when you get something that obvious, that clear, wrong – that puts into doubt all their other analysis.”

Ramirez said he did his “due diligence” independently and ran the plan through multiple lawyers. He thanked anyone with “legitimate concern” about the legal issues for voicing their objections. 

“I wanted to make sure that what we were doing was absolutely legally justified,” Ramirez said. “I hoped that we could have had some ideas presented from our other colleagues up here, but that was not the case. So we are where we are.”

In a previous article for The Dallas Express, Ramirez explained that Democrats used redistricting to gain an advantage in Dallas and Harris counties, but it can help maintain Republican governance in Tarrant County.

Changing Tune

After the federal census of 2020, Dallas conducted redistricting, but Tarrant County refrained from the process.

When Dallas County redrew its district lines to give Democrats an advantage in 2021, The Dallas Morning News admitted this would “dilute Republican voting power while solidifying Democratic control” – but said it would “improve the voting power of Hispanics and keep cities grouped in single districts.” The sole Republican county commissioner, J.J. Koch, was then ousted in the next election. 

However, when Tarrant County planned redistricting for a Republican advantage, The Dallas Morning News published several articles criticizing the plan. The paper’s editorial staff wrote an article titled “Tarrant County redistricting proposal is bad government,” which claimed, “hyperpartisan gerrymandering weakens the diversity of viewpoints among our elected leaders, eroding the resilience of our democracy.” 

Chris Putnam, CEO of The Dallas Express, explained on X that this is a stark change from The Dallas Morning News’ approach to Dallas’ redistricting plan in 2021:

“The only difference of course is that one is a D controlled commissioner’s court and the other is R controlled,” Putnam wrote. “And the Dallas Morning News is literally the daily newsletter for the woke, far-left.”