In Tarrant County judge’s race, seven vie for seat that opens for first time in 15 years
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CORRECTION: Mattie Parker is the mayor of Fort Worth. Her name was incorrect in an previous version.
As the Tarrant County judge position opens for the first time in 15 years, seven candidates have swooped in to run for a chance at the role.
Glen Whitley is stepping down after 15 years in his position. Before that, he spent 10 years as a commissioner.
The county judge leads the commissioners court, which includes four people each representing one of the county’s precincts. The position pays $198,000 a year.
Early voting for the March 1 primary begins Monday and runs through Feb. 25. The runoff will be May 24 if no one receives more than 50% of the vote.
Republican candidates
Republicans include a mix of new and old faces in a race among five candidates.
Betsy Price was mayor of Fort Worth from 2011-2021, and served as the county’s tax assessor for 10 years before that.
Under Price, Fort Worth grew by 24% to become the nation’s largest 12th largest city. The city also closed a budget gap and negotiated a fix to the pension plan that prevented state intervention during her time.
Price stood in support of a Race and Culture Task Force formed as a result of the 2016 arrest of Jacqueline Craig, which drew national attention to the city, and was outspoken following the death of Atatiana Jefferson, a Black woman who was shot by a white police officer in October 2019.
Her opponent, Tim O’Hare, has claimed in advertisements that Price encouraged Black Lives Matter protesters. In response, Price released a campaign video saying her opponent was lying and that she stood against the organization’s “extremists.”
Price’s campaign describes her as a “proven champion” for taxpayers, citing a reduction of the property tax rate by 12% as mayor. While the tax rates decreased, most homeowners are paying more in city property taxes because home values increased by 86% in that time.
Price boasts how she stood with the police during efforts to cut department funding and said she has an “unmatched legacy of straight-shooting conservatism,” bringing in her connection to former President Donald Trump. Her goals include increasing transparency, fair elections and continuing to enhance infrastructure across the county.
O’Hare, an attorney from Southlake, is most recently known for his position at the center of the movement to keep the Carroll school district’s Cultural Competence Action plan from being adopted. The plan was developed after videos showed students saying the n-word.
He was the mayor of Farmers Branch from 2008 to 2011 and served as the Tarrant County Republican Party chair from 2016 to 2018.
As mayor of Farmers Branch, the city adopted an ordinance that prohibited landlords from renting to undocumented immigrants and another that made English the city’s official language. They were ultimately ruled unconstitutional by a federal court.
On his website, O’Hare describes himself as “Pro-Faith, Pro-Life, Pro-Family, Pro-2nd Amendment, Pro-Business, and Pro-Freedom.” His issues include lowering taxes, promoting high-quality jobs, creating an Election Integrity Officer position at the county level and maintaining the area’s infrastructure. Like Price, he also runs on a platform that supports local law enforcement.
Also in the race are Byron Bradford, Robert Buker and Kristen Collins.
Bradford, an Army veteran and CEO of B12 Management Group, is running on a platform that includes increasing government transparency, creating more jobs, lowering taxes and creating a safer community through strengthening DUI laws and eradicating human trafficking.
Bradford proposes a $1 billion infrastructure investment as a part of his platform to help create jobs in the area. Voters approved a $400 million bond to address transportation needs across the county in November.
Among his transportation priorities, Bradford includes decreasing congestion, upping safety, expanding economic opportunity and improving air quality.
On his website, Buker, who has worked in corrections for 10 years, describes himself as a “True Grass-Roots Conservative.”
“I am your candidate running against Betsy Price,” his site reads. “I am your candidate running against Tim O’ Hare. I am running for change in Tarrant County. The corruption stops with me. The backdoor deals, and status quo politicians end with me. It is time for a true conservative to come in and right the wrongs.”
Buker’s platform includes increasing transparency and accountability and helping schools “protect their integrity” on concepts like “social emotional learning” and critical race theory, though the commissioners court’s reach doesn’t cover school districts. Buker also mentions election integrity and putting county programs under an umbrella to make them easier to navigate.
Collins could not be reached for comment.
Democratic candidates
Both Democratic candidates have sought their city’s top office.
Deborah Peoples, who formerly served as the chair of the Tarrant County Democratic Party as the first Black woman in the position, lost to Mattie Parker in a runoff for Fort Worth mayor in 2021. She lost against Price in 2019 in the same race.
Peoples’ platform revolves around jobs and education. Her issues include attracting high quality jobs that will keep county graduates at home and investing in early childhood programs, in addition to investing in trade and apprenticeship programs.
Housing and health care also make Peoples’ list, most notably children’s mental health and helping county residents find affordable housing.
Her opponent, Marvin Sutton, is an Air Force veteran who spent nearly two decades as a Tarrant County Democratic Party precinct chair. Sutton also served on Arlington’s City Council representing District 3 from 2019 to 2021.
Sutton lost in a runoff in June 2021 to Jim Ross for Arlington mayor.
His issues include lowering taxes in Tarrant County, creating more jobs and, like Peoples, providing affordable access to healthcare.
If either Sutton or Peoples were to win the county judge’s race come November, they’d be the first Black person in the position in the county’s history.
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
