The Tarrant County elections administrator has announced his resignation, citing differences with newly appointed County Judge Tim O’Hare.
Heider Garcia submitted his letter of resignation on April 16, in which he stated his last day with the county will be June 23, allowing him to oversee the May 6 joint elections and any potential runoff elections.
In the letter, he wrote, “Judge O’Hare, my formula to ‘administer a quality transparent election’ stands on respect and zero politics; compromising on these values is not an option for me.”
“You made it clear in our last meeting that your formula is different, thus, my decision to leave,” Garcia continued.
Tim O’Hare, a Republican, assumed the office of Tarrant County Judge at the beginning of 2023 following the general election last November.
One of the issues prioritized by O’Hare’s campaign was election integrity. In February, he instituted an Election Integrity Task Force.
Speaking to the conservative activist group True Texas Project on April 10, O’Hare said he planned to review Garcia’s performance following the May 6 elections, as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
“I want nothing more than quality, transparent elections in Tarrant County,” O’Hare said in an April 17 statement concerning Garcia’s resignation. “Supporting the creation of an Election Integrity Task Force was all about quality, transparent elections.”
“Mr. Garcia voluntarily resigned his position, and I wish him well in his future endeavors,” O’Hare said, adding that he will soon call a meeting of the County Election Commission to discuss hiring a new elections administrator.
The Dallas Express reached out to both the Tarrant County Republican Party and the Tarrant County Democratic Party for comment on Garcia’s resignation but received no response from either by press time.