After plaintiffs tried to block Tarrant County’s new district map from taking effect, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals shot down the challenge.
The Tarrant County Commissioners redrew district lines in June, giving Republicans a 4-1 advantage, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. As a result, plaintiffs in Jackson v. Tarrant County sued in June, claiming the new map constitutes racial discrimination.
Plaintiffs requested an injunction in the district court to block the new boundaries from taking effect. However, the court denied their request, prompting them to appeal to the Fifth Circuit.
The Fifth Circuit denied the injunction appeal on October 29, saying the plaintiffs were “unlikely to succeed on the merits of any of their claims,” according to a copy of the ruling obtained by The Dallas Express.
The plaintiffs argued the redistricting targeted racial minorities, according to the ruling. Even if it was simply partisan, they argued, the county’s staggered elections merit intervention – “despite the general rule against policing partisan maps.”
“We hold that the facts do not support the challengers’ first argument, and the law does not support their second,” the court ruled. “We affirm the district court’s denial of a preliminary injunction.”
Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare told The Dallas Express he supports redistricting to strengthen future conservative governance.
“After the Commissioners Court’s decision four months ago, the courts continue to uphold our decision, which will ensure Tarrant County remains the best place in Texas to live, run a business, and raise a family,” O’Hare said.
Racial Gerrymandering or Politics?
In May, the Fort Worth city council passed a resolution condemning possible Tarrant County redistricting efforts, as The Dallas Express reported at the time.
County commissioners redrew district lines on June 3, boosting Republican control. This followed County Commissioner Alisa Simmons’ attempts to filibuster, even flipping off O’Hare.
“From the beginning of the redistricting process, my goal was to ensure conservative leadership in Tarrant County for years to come,” O’Hare said.
Plaintiffs sued the next day – naming the county, the commissioners’ court, and O’Hare as defendants.
They initially claimed the new lines, drawn by the nonprofit Public Interest Legal Foundation, were “racially discriminatory,” as The Dallas Express reported. Their lawyers argued the map “gerrymanders” the county to eliminate a minority-dominated precinct.
“The resulting map – in a county in which the majority of residents are non-Anglo – has three Anglo-majority precincts and one majority-minority precinct,” the initial complaint reads.
They also claimed the redistricting “disenfranchises” more than 150,000 voters who could have voted for a county commissioner in 2026, but have now been grouped into another district – and will now have to wait until 2028.
Tarrant County signed a $250,000 contract with Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) in July for its legal defense, according to the Fort Worth Report.
Defendants initially argued plaintiff’s “last remaining avenue of attack” was to claim racism, instead of partisan motives. “Plaintiffs’ failure to disentangle race and politics is lethal to their claim.”
PILF filed on August 1 to dismiss the case, as The Dallas Express reported at the time.
In the recent ruling, the Fifth Circuit held that redistricting is the duty and responsibility of the state. The court found that the only limits on redistricting come from the Constitution’s 14th and 15th Amendments, which prohibit racial discrimination in election conduct, and that the task is best left to the legislative process.
“Within those bounds, however, the power of States and localities to fix district lines is broad – and ours is narrow,” the court ruled. “Unless a plaintiff proves racial discrimination, federal courts must stay their hand…”
O’Hare said the law supports partisan redistricting.
“Whatever their motivation is, the suit has been a waste of money and resources,” he said. “The law of our land is clear – governing bodies can redistrict for partisan reasons.”