Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare announced Tuesday that he is seeking reelection in 2026.
In a news release announcing his campaign, the Southlake Republican emphasized his “clear record of delivering conservative results” during his tenure.
“I have led the charge to restore limited government, cut property taxes, support law and order, and uphold Tarrant County family values,” O’Hare wrote in a post on X. “Together, we changed the direction of Tarrant County.”
https://twitter.com/TimothyOHare/status/1947656219176411354 O’Hare has served as county judge since January 2023 after defeating Deborah Peoples, a former chair of the Tarrant County Democratic Party now serving on Fort Worth City Council. O’Hare defeated longtime former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price in the Republican primary for that election.
Since taking office, O’Hare “ushered in a new era of accountability, efficiency, and conservative governance in Tarrant County,” according to his campaign website. He touts his efforts to lower the county’s property tax rate, raise the homestead exemption and secure pay raises for law enforcement officers.
Earlier this year, O’Hare initiated an unusual, mid-decade redistricting process that resulted in a new map of commissioner precincts in June. All the Republicans on the court — O’Hare and commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez — have said the redistricting was intended to increase the GOP majority on the commissioners court. Critics said it was intended to racially gerrymander the county and dilute the voting power of communities of color.
O’Hare enters his reelection bid with more than $400,000 in campaign funds, according to his news release. In his most recent campaign finance report, filed July 1, O’Hare reported maintaining $407,744.85, with $174,660 raised between Jan. 1 and June 30.
His campaign website lists endorsements from several Republican officials, including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz; Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick; and Congressmen Craig Goldman of Fort Worth, Brandon Gill of Flower Mound and Roger Williams of Willow Park. It also includes outgoing state Rep. Tony Tinderholt of Arlington, who is seeking a commissioners court seat next year.
The role of county judge is similar to how a mayor presides over a city. The judge is one member of the Tarrant County Commissioners Court and represents the county overall while each commissioner represents a specific portion of the county, or precinct. The judge serves four-year terms and has no term limits.
The county judge is currently paid $224,191 annually, following the commissioners court approval of a 2.86% pay raise in September. Commissioners are paid $214,191 per year.
The Fort Worth Report contacted each of the four county commissioners as well as the chairs of the Tarrant County Democratic and Republican parties for comment on O’Hare’s campaign announcement.
Commissioner Alisa Simmons, a Democrat who previously confirmed to KERA News that she intends to seek reelection next year, declined to comment.
Krause, a Republican elected to the court last year, said he fully supports O’Hare’s reelection after seeing the judge “do exactly what he said he would do” on his previous campaign trail. He commended O’Hare’s efforts to keep taxes low and spend tax dollars wisely, as well as his leadership of the county’s redistricting process.
The redistricting is one of many controversies for which O’Hare faced backlash during his tenure.
In June, a Fort Worth Report investigation found that O’Hare shut down a city of Fort Worth project to recognize local LGBTQ history with a state historical marker, more than a year after the city’s application for the marker was approved. City leaders, LGBTQ advocates and local historians said O’Hare acted outside of his authority and warned that his action marked a shift in the standard process for recognizing local history.
Last year, O’Hare attempted to eliminate Tarrant County college and university campuses as early voting locations ahead of the November election, saying it’s not the county’s job to make it easier for specific groups, such as students, to vote. His effort ultimately failed, but critics asserted it was an attempt to disenfranchise student voters.
Tarrant County Democratic Party chair Allison Campolo said in a statement she is “disappointed that someone so divisive and actively harmful to the well-being of Tarrant County residents is running for office again.” She said her party will wait to see how the primary election plays out, but added the Democratic Party has “a wealth of strong candidates” considering the position.
“I have no doubt whatsoever that a Democrat will be sitting in that seat come January 2027,” Campolo said.
Krause said he’s not aware of any other Republican candidates who intend to enter the race for county judge. Any candidate, regardless of political party, will face an uphill climb to unseat O’Hare, he said. To do that, a candidate would have to be well known, well respected and well funded, Krause added.
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
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