Tarrant County sheriff runoff to settle tight battle

In the March 1 primary, Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson came close to winning outright against his challenger, former Dalworthington Gardens Police Chief Bill Waybourn.

Both candidates know those results mean little in the upcoming Republican primary runoff.

Early voting begins Monday for the May 24 runoff.

Turnout for the runoff is expected to be a fraction of the total on March 1, when 215,386, or 21 percent of registered voters, cast ballots in the GOP primary.

This time, there won’t be Donald Trump or Ted Cruz at the top of the GOP ticket to attract voters.

“I would agree with your expectation that it will be dramatically lower than the March primary, mainly due to the absence of the presidential candidates,” said Tarrant County Elections Administrator Frank W. Phillips.

Historically, primary election runoffs have seen a drop in the number of voters during presidential election years.

Four years ago, 9.72 percent of eligible voters went to the polls in the May 29, 2012, Republican primary, and 8.22 percent returned for the runoff when Ted Cruz and David Dewhurst were battling for a Senate seat at the top of the ballot.

In the 2008 GOP primary runoff, only 1.19 percent of eligible Tarrant County voters showed up.

In this runoff, the battle for sheriff is the marquee race. The winner will be the next sheriff since no candidates ran in the Democratic primary.

Tarrant County Republicans also have runoffs for 348th District judge, Texas Railroad Commission, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2 and 5 and the Second Court of Appeals Place 3.

Tarrant County Democrats will have a runoff for Texas Railroad Commission.

Anderson won big in primary

Both Waybourn, 56, and Anderson, 60, believe they will succeed in getting their supporters to the polls.

“We feel real confident about the runoff,” Waybourn said. “We feel that those who turn out for runoffs will vote for us.”

Anderson, who had 48.59 percent to Waybourn’s 40.67 percent in the March 1 primary, knows many who voted in March won’t participate this time. A third candidate, John Garris, who had dropped out and thrown his support to Waybourn, captured 10.73 percent.

“We can't take anything for granted,” Anderson said. “Historically, turnout in these runoffs has been very, very low. You had people who voted in the Republican primary who never voted in a Republican primary before and may never vote in one again. We’re reaching out to those baseline Republicans who appreciate the job we’ve been doing for the last 16 years.”

The campaign has presented two dramatically different visions for sheriff.

Anderson, who has been sheriff since 2001, has spotlighted his record, insisting the main focus should be on operating the jail, which has passed 15 consecutive annual state jail inspections, managing more than 1,600 employees and overseeing an annual budget of $120 million.

“I’ve brought it from a department that was a laughingstock to one that is respected and admired,” Anderson said. “We've had zero scandals, zero negative headlines. You’re looking at a proven track record.”

Anderson’s endorsements include Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson and county Commissioners J.D. Johnson and Gary Fickes.

Yet Waybourn, Dalworthington Gardens police chief for 31 years, said Anderson has lost touch with employees. He points to his endorsements by two former Fort Worth police chiefs, the Tarrant County Law Enforcement Association, the Fort Worth Police Officers Association and the Arlington Police Association as signs of Anderson’s waning support.

“If he is not aware of the morale issues in his own department, he is even more isolated than we thought,” Waybourn said in response to written questions. “Every law enforcement organization in Tarrant County has endorsed against him.”

Anderson has said those law enforcement associations represent a vocal minority and that a sheriff can’t win a popularity contest while also overseeing the jail and that many employees.

“If there was a problem, if there was an issue, it would have bubbled to the surface a long time ago,” Anderson said. “You don’t have a festering morale issue. What you've got is a small group of people that don’t represent the majority of Sheriff’s Department employees.”

Waybourn: It’s time for change

Waybourn insists Anderson’s time has passed.

“During the course of this campaign, we have set forth a vision of bold leadership from the front, collaborating with all agencies in an effort to reduce inefficiencies and create a more effective government saving taxpayer’s money,” Waybourn said. “The sheriff has openly said nothing will change. Why continue bad policy and complacency?”

Waybourn has also touted his pioneering DWI no-refusals in Dalworthington Gardens since 2005, where court orders for blood draws are obtained for suspected drunken drivers if they refuse a Breathalyzer test.

Waybourn’s endorsements also include former Gov. Rick Perry, Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams, Tarrant County Commissioner Andy Nguyen, Tarrant County Tax Assessor Ron Wright, Tarrant County District Clerk Tom Wilder and Taya Kyle, the widow of Chris Kyle. She is serving as his campaign treasurer.

Candidates have seen controversy

Waybourn’s tenure as police chief came under scrutiny in February, when the Star-Telegram wrote about a 2013 accidental shooting at a Tarrant County gun range.

In June 2013, Waybourn injured his hand while teaching a concealed handgun license class to an Arlington doctor.

Dalworthington Gardens’ city attorney determined he was on the job when the shooting occurred and was qualified for workers’ compensation.

The city attorney said there was an understanding between the City Council and Waybourn that allowed him to teach CHL classes. Waybourn had said the allegations came from Anderson’s campaign, which the sheriff has denied.

Anderson, meanwhile, has been accused of grandstanding for being out in front of the cameras during the case of affluenza teen Ethan Couch. The attorney for Ethan Couch’s mother, Tonya Couch, criticized Anderson’s high profile during her return to Fort Worth after fleeing to Mexico with her son.

During a February debate on the Star-Telegram’s media partner, WFAA, Anderson said that Couch “represents the worst case I’ve had in the 15 years as sheriff. I’m going to be upfront, very vocal. I’m speaking for those families and those four victims.”

No new campaign finance reports have been filed since the primary was held, but Waybourn was dramatically outspending Anderson earlier in the campaign.

As of the Feb. 22 campaign finance report filings, Waybourn had $37,925.68 to Anderson’s $26,813.30.

In the previous two filing periods, Waybourn raised $178,680.12 to Anderson’s $24,812.90. Both candidates have continued to raise money with Waybourn holding a fundraiser that included singer Randy Travis while Anderson said his fundraising has increased with the impending runoff.

This story was originally published May 14, 2016 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Tarrant County sheriff runoff to settle tight battle."