Former Fort Worth City Council member Jared Williams is running for a seat on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court, he announced Monday.
The Democrat and nonprofit leader is seeking the Precinct 2 seat currently represented by Commissioner Alisa Simmons, who announced Saturday her campaign for the countywide position of judge.
He faces Democrat Gabe Rivas, a former member of Simmons’ staff, in the March primary. Republicans Tony Tinderholt, who represented the Arlington area in the Texas House for six terms, and Lucila Seri, a Tarrant County GOP precinct chair, are also seeking the seat.
Williams served two terms on City Council, representing southwest Fort Worth and the historically Black neighborhood of Como. He works for the Tarrant Area Food Bank as vice president of government and external relations.
His campaign will focus on “restoring affordability, strengthening essential services and ensuring our government works for everyday people,” Williams said in a news release.
“For too long, those in power have claimed Texas is the greatest place to live, work and play, while ignoring the reality for everyday people like us,” Williams said. “We’re working harder for less, being priced out of our homes, squeezed by rising costs and too exhausted to enjoy the life we’re trying to build.”
Next year’s election will be shaped by new precincts adopted by the GOP-majority commissioners court earlier this year. County Judge Tim O’Hare and Commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez redrew precinct lines to make Precinct 2 more favorable to conservative candidates, which they said was intended to increase Republican representation in the court.
Tinderholt, known as one of the Legislature’s most conservative members, announced his candidacy for Simmons’ seat moments after the new map was adopted in June.
Two lawsuits that accused county officials of racial gerrymandering and sought to bar the new map from being used were both dropped or dismissed this month.
Under the new boundaries, Precinct 2 encompasses Arlington, Mansfield, Pantego, Dalworthington Gardens, Kennedale, Burleson, Crowley, Benbrook, Edgecliff Village and part of south Fort Worth.
Williams’ campaign announcement noted his vote in favor of a Fort Worth City Council resolution to oppose the county’s “undemocratic” redistricting effort. It highlighted the council’s 2022 redistricting process — described by Williams as “one of Texas’ most transparent, community-driven redistricting processes” — that resulted in the creation of two new council districts intended to increase Hispanic representation.
Williams enters the Precinct 2 race late in the game — on the same day as the filing deadline — with Simmons’ endorsement. His campaign announcement touted endorsements from Tarrant Democrats at the city, county and state level, including former County Commissioner Roy Brooks; County Commissioner Roderick Miles; State Reps. Nicole Collier and Ramon Romero; Deborah Peoples, Fort Worth City Council member and former chair of the Tarrant County Democratic Party; Mansfield Mayor Michael Evans; Forest Hill Mayor Stephanie Boardingham; and County Constables Sandra Lee and Michael Campbell.
Williams was elected to the council in 2021, defeating 16-year incumbent Jungus Jordan and becoming the first Black person to represent District 6.
In January, he announced that he would not seek reelection to the council after previously planning to do so. At the time, he cited a desire to spend more time with family and to continue his work to end hunger and lead his faith ministry.
His campaign announcement emphasized his “proven record of delivering for working people.” He highlighted doubling the city’s homestead exemption and opposing new taxes on working families; championing the effort to increase Fort Worth’s minimum wage from $10 to $18 per hour; advocating for accountability and improvement in the Tarrant County Jail; and hosting more than 100 neighborhood meetings, increasing public participation in government.
“Local government should help make life better, not sit on the sidelines watching us suffer,” Williams said in the news release. “An effective Commissioners Court can be part of the solution.”
Rivas and Williams will face off in the March 3 primary election to win the Democratic nomination for the seat, while Tinderholt and Seri will face off for the Republican nomination. The winners will face off in the general election Nov. 3. A full roundup of Tarrant County candidates for the primary election is available here.
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
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