Change is in the air in Tarrant County as Republican voters cast their ballots for some fresh faces in key political offices in Tuesday’s primary elections.
Former Tarrant County GOP chair Rick Barnes is the Republican candidate for County Tax Assessor-Collector, defeating the embattled incumbent Wendy Burgess in a fiercely contested race with 50.28% of the vote. Barnes’ campaign was bolstered by the endorsements of County Judge Tim O’Hare and State Representative Nate Schatzline (R-Fort Worth).
“We need a tax assessor who will strongly advocate for the taxpayer. And also one that will push and promote conservative candidates, policies, and values. We are in a battle for the heart and soul of our country. And ground zero is Tarrant County,” O’Hare recently told The Dallas Express.
In a statement on his Facebook campaign page, Barnes pledged to be an advocate for taxpayers, saying, “I entered the race for Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector because taxpayers deserve an advocate who will fight on their behalf. That’s what Tarrant County deserves and it’s what all Tarrant County taxpayers should expect moving forward.”
Burgess’ tenure as Tax Assessor has been marred by public criticism, including accusations that she was slurring words and making incoherent comments during a Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD) meeting, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Local realtor Chandler Crouch, known for his crusade against high property tax assessments, said that Burgess was “the ONLY person on the TAD board elected to represent the citizens and at every single turn she defended the bad guys. She failed.”
“When the government attacks its citizens and the person elected to defend us turns her back, why should we vote her back in office?” Crouch wrote in a Facebook post.
Barnes will face Democratic opponent K.C. Chowdhury in the general election in November.
Tarrant County Republicans saw another opportunity for change in the race for District Judge in the 396th Judicial District, where former prosecutor Vincent Giardino defeated the incumbent judge, George Gallagher, with 52.31% of the vote.
Attorney General Ken Paxton, the True Texas Project, and Texas Right to Life all endorsed Giardino. Paxton said at a campaign event that Gallagher was “one of the most corrupt judges I have ever known.”
Gallagher has done “many bad things and doesn’t follow state law; he’s extremely liberal and has been sitting there for 20 years. So we need to replace him with Vince,” Paxton said.
Several races in Tarrant County will be decided in a runoff in May following less-than-decisive primary results.
Cheryl Bean and John McQueeny will compete in a runoff for Texas House District 97, which is being vacated by Texas Rep. Craig Goldman (R-Fort Worth) at the end of his term. Bean won 49.57% of the vote, while McQueeny won 29.66%.
Bean, who has been endorsed by O’Hare, told The Dallas Express in a text message, “I am already gearing up for a runoff. I am grateful for the continued support of Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton, and for the voters who recognized the solid conservative values on which I stand firmly.”
McQueeny recently said in a candidate forum that he would support appointing Democrat chairs, while Bean said she would not continue the practice.
House District 91 will also be heading to a runoff between challenger David Lowe (46.10%) and incumbent Stephanie Klick (R-North Richland Hills). Klick (48.09%) voted to impeach Paxton last year alongside Speaker Dade Phelan and Texas House Democrats.
Lowe told The Dallas Express, “Once again, my opponent is dragged into a runoff after spending nearly a million dollars and running disgusting ads that are falsely accusing me of sex trafficking and other crimes. My message is simple. We need less talk and more action from our elected officials.”
John O’Shea will compete in a runoff with current Texas House Rep. Goldman for a seat in the U.S. House representing Congressional District 12. U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), who has represented the district for nearly three decades, is vacating the seat at the end of her term in January.
Goldman voted to impeach Paxton last year, and one of his donors has faced public criticism for allegedly stealing a campaign sign during the Congressional race, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
“I think it’s amazing that we have forced a runoff after facing the weight of the entire establishment,” O’Shea told The Dallas Express. “There was hundreds of thousands of dollars spent by PACs in Vegas promoting the establishment candidate and attacking me.”
“There is one America First truly conservative candidate left in the race and the choice is now binary. This is a testament to the passion of our volunteers and their belief in this campaign,” he said.