Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, who has held the post since 2007, is not running for a fifth term, he announced June 8.
He drew praise from outgoing Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price.
“I want to thank my dear friend @judge_whitley for his service to the more than two million people who call Tarrant County home,” Price said on Twitter. “Through significant growth and change, Tarrant County has thrived. That’s a credit to Judge Whitley’s vision, wise counsel and the passion and tenacity he brings to the job every day.”
Two days after Whitley’s announcement, Price announced that she is running for his post, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. She did not seek another term as mayor.
“Not only do I have the fire and passion to continue serving the good people of our county, but my decades of business and public servant experience — both as Tarrant County tax assessor and mayor of Fort Worth — make me an ideal and qualified candidate for this position critical to both our present and future,” Price said in a statement.
Price, who leaves office at Fort Worth mayor on June 15, said she would “make a more formal and official announcement in the coming months.”
Price described herself as a “strong, conservative and compassionate leader” who brings people together to get things done, the Star-Telegram reported.
The commissioners court is the county’s “general governing body,” according to its website.
“The court is made up of the county judge who is elected countywide and presides over the full court, and the four county commissioners – each elected from one of the county’s four precincts,” the website said.
Tarrant County is one of the state’s most populous counties with nearly two million people.
“After much deliberation with fellow leaders, friends and most importantly, my family, I have decided that now is the time to prepare for the next chapter of leadership for Tarrant County,” Whitley said in a statement, WFAA reported. “It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve my county and to do so alongside my fellow commissioners.”