A federal judge dismissed a group of Tarrant County residents’ claim that the county's new precinct map disenfranchises them and denied the group’s request to temporarily prevent the county from implementing the new map.
The group's other constitutional claims — which also allege racial discrimination against Black and Latino voters — will still proceed.
In a lawsuit over Tarrant County’s rare mid-decade redistricting effort, voters who would be affected by the new map allege the map disenfranchises them under the First Amendment. But U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, based in Fort Worth, ruled Friday he has no authority to decide that issue.
It’s a political question of partisan gerrymandering, O’Connor wrote, agreeing with the county’s argument in its motion to dismiss last month.
The plaintiffs also allege certain voters affected by the redistricting will now have to wait six years to vote for their commissioner instead of the usual four. While true, O’Connor ruled that's not a valid claim to make under the First Amendment. Just because the redistricting will cause a two-year postponement in voting for some people doesn’t mean their right to vote is unconstitutionally burdened, he wrote.
“Plaintiffs will have an opportunity to exercise their vote for Commissioner in 2028—they are not voiceless,” O’Connor wrote. “And they are only delayed participation in the County Commissioner election—all other state and national elections remain available to them in 2026.”
The ruling still leaves in place the plaintiffs' claims that the two-year delay is racially discriminatory under Voting Rights Act and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. But because he found the plaintiffs likely won’t succeed in proving any of those claims, O’Connor denied their motion for a preliminary injunction that would have temporarily prevented the maps from going into effect.
The plaintiffs immediately appealed the ruling. KERA News reached out to their attorneys and those for Tarrant County for comment and will update this story with any response.
County Judge Tim O'Hare applauded the ruling in a Facebook post Tuesday.
"With no injunction, the new map the County passed will stay in place for the next election," O'Hare wrote. "I am pleased with this ruling."
Tarrant County commissioners voted along party lines to change the county maps in June. The lawsuit — filed by a group of Black and Latino voters who were moved to other precincts or whose precincts will become majority white — followed soon after. It alleges the new precincts were racially gerrymandered by packing Black and Hispanic residents into a single district.
The county argues the mid-decade redistricting was purely partisan and not motivated by race. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled federal courts don’t have the authority to decide whether partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional, but racial gerrymandering is illegal.
The new map — also known as Map 7 — mostly reshapes precincts 1 and 2, which are represented by Democratic commissioners. It specifically leaves Commissioner Alisa Simmons’ precinct 2 with more Republican voters.
That means a harder fight for Simmons, who will be running against retiring Texas Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, to keep her seat next year.
Elections for county commissioners are staggered. O’Hare and Commissioner Manny Ramirez, both Republicans, are also up for reelection next year. Republican Commissioner Matt Krause and Democratic Commissioner Roderick Miles Jr. are up for election in 2028.
The ruling from O’Connor comes after the Texas Legislature passed new congressional maps redrawn to favor Republicans at the urging of President Donald Trump. The state is also facing a lawsuit alleging racial gerrymandering.
Additional reporting by KERA’s Miranda Suarez.
Toluwani Osibamowo is KERA’s law and justice reporter. Got a tip? Email Toluwani at tosibamowo@kera.org.
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