Southlake Republican Zee Wilcox will be on the March 3 primary ballot after a nearly monthlong legal battle with the Tarrant County GOP chairman, the two confirmed to the Report Wednesday.
Tim Davis, chairman of the local Republican Party, attempted to remove Wilcox from the ballot on Jan. 7, saying she made clerical errors when she filed for election using the wrong form.
Wilcox then sued Davis, arguing she should have been allowed to remedy the errors. Throughout the uncertainty, she’s been excluded from GOP candidate forums and debates.
Wednesday’s resolution saw both parties agree to drop all legal actions against each other. In an email to Wilcox reviewed by the Report, Davis suggested that they issue a joint statement on the matter to “promote party unity.”
Wilcox faces Keller Mayor Armin Mizani and Colleyville businessman Fred Tate in the GOP primary race for Texas House District 98, which includes Keller, Grapevine and parts of Southlake. The seat was long held by state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, who isn’t seeking reelection.
Whoever wins the March 3 primary election faces the Democratic nominee in November.
On Jan. 15, a Tarrant County district court judge ruled that Wilcox could remain on the ballot; however, Davis was attempting to dissolve that decision. Wednesday’s agreement between Wilcox and Davis came a day before they were scheduled to appear in court again.
In an email to the Report, Davis said the case against Wilcox is moot, and that “(Republican) party unity is more important than ever” in the wake of Democrat Taylor Rehmet’s election win on Saturday.
Rehmet flipped the historically red Texas Senate District 9 seat — which overlaps with House District 98 — in a special election that garnered national attention.
“Republicans need to come together and support each other and our ballot in November,” said Davis, a lawyer who was tapped to be GOP chair in November.
Democrats attributed part of Rehmet’s victory to his ability to win over center and right-leaning voters who were disenfranchised with the current Republican Party and Donald Trump’s presidency. Davis previously told the Report that Rehmet’s win didn’t worry Republicans, and that he’s confident the GOP can win back voters in the Nov. 3 election.
Wilcox, who owns a health and beauty business, said people have told her she’s the “‘Taylor Rehmet’ of the Republican Party” because of her campaign’s small budget and her identity as a non-establishment political outsider.
“The outcome (of Saturday’s election) sent a clear signal from Republican voters: there is growing frustration with internal division, perceived gatekeeping, and party resources being used against fellow Republicans rather than focused on winning seats,” she wrote in an email to Davis that was shared with the Report.
Wilcox said she feels the incident both strained and strengthened her campaign. She said she feels it showed voters that she was willing to stand up to the Republican Party, despite not having the same backing or budgets of her more established opponents.
Davis had attempted to remove Wilcox because she filed for election using a federal form instead of a state one. The two forms are nearly identical, with one central difference being that the state’s form includes a clause that acknowledges laws against nepotism.
In the courtroom, Wilcox represented herself and argued that election officials are supposed to work with filers and campaign hopefuls, not create a “gotcha system” that surprises candidates with removals.
Wilcox’s court proceedings are just a piece of countywide ballot uncertainty heading toward the March 3 primary election, which sees early voting opening Feb. 21.
The same day he attempted to remove Wilcox’s name, Davis also challenged seven Democratic judicial candidates placed on the ballot. A few days later, the local Democratic Party challenged all 41 GOP judicial candidates and two Texas House candidates on the primary ballot.
The challenges are now being reviewed by Davis and Democratic chair Allison Campolo.
Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.orgor @shawlings601.
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