“It’s perfectly legal to do it mid-cycle, and I think Republicans have better ideas on how to govern,” Judge Tim O’Hare said.
TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — Republican Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare is defending his decision to push for a June 3 Commissioners Court vote to redraw county precinct lines.
O’Hare recruited The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), a conservative law firm, to draw new maps—plans he admits are designed to favor Republican candidates in future elections.
“This is about Republican versus Democrat, period,” said Judge Tim O’Hare. “If it passes with one of the maps that I would want to see pass, it’s a very strong likelihood that we will have three Republicans on the Commissioner’s court.”
Tarrant County Commissioner Roderick Miles would become the lone Democrat on the court if the proposed maps were adopted. He represents Precinct 1, which covers parts of southwest Tarrant County, including areas near Benbrook, Fort Worth neighborhoods, north Arlington, Everman, Forest Hill, Edgecliff Village, Crowley and Burleson. He says redistricting adds more voters of color to his precinct.
Under O’Hare’s redistricting plan, Precinct 1 would take on new areas, including parts of Arlington, Mansfield, and Grand Prairie—changes that Democratic commissioners say would dilute minority voting power in Precinct 2, held by Commissioner Alisa Simmons.
“What we’re hearing from the experts so far is that these maps are a classic example of intentional racial discrimination,” Simmons said.
“They are all racially motivated,” Miles added. “They’re not politically motivated.”
However, O’Hare dismissed the accusations of racial discrimination.
“This is what Democrats do,” O’Hare said, “They cry race, they cry racism all the time, but this is purely 100% about partisan politics and making sure we have a stronger Republican majority on the court.”
Some voters in Tarrant County do support O’Hare’s redistricting plan.
Mayors from Keller, Colleyville, Southlake, and North Richland Hills recently sent a letter of support to the judge.
“Those are mayors whose cities are not even directly impacted by the mid-decade redistricting maps,” Simmons countered.
In contrast, nine other North Texas mayors signed a letter opposing the redistricting—though O’Hare claimed that “two have now taken their names off.”
So far, PILF has submitted seven proposed maps that shift precinct boundaries. Democratic commissioners argue these maps strategically move voters to give Republican candidates a stronger chance in the November election.
“These maps specifically take a large number of minorities and put them out of Precinct 2 and place them into Precinct 1. It’s what we call cracking and packing,” said Simmons.
Simmons and her supporters have created map overlays to highlight what they call racial targeting. O’Hare disagrees.
“It’s perfectly legal to do it mid-cycle,” said O’Hare. “And I think Republicans have better ideas on how to govern. I think Republicans know what a woman is. I think Republicans know how to find waste, fraud, and abuse better. I think Republicans stick most of the time to the blocking and the tackling and the things government supposed to do. And I think Tarrant County is a stronger place because every single person in countywide leadership is a Republican.”
To pass redistricting on June 3, Judge O’Hare needs support from two other commissioners. But Democratic leaders vow to keep fighting, no matter what the outcome.
“June 3 does not end our fight,” said Commissioner Miles.