Who’s running for Tarrant County commissioners? In Precincts 2 and 4, seven candidates
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2022 Texas primaries
Early voting begins Monday in Texas, with races for top county and state officials on the Republican and Democratic primary tickets.
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Tarrant County leadership is turning over, and two of four seats are open on the Commissioners Court.
J.D. Johnson, who’s served Precinct 4 for nearly 40 years, will retire following the completion of his term and Precinct 2 representative Devan Allen is not seeking reelection.
On the Democratic side, candidates are focusing on issues like affordable housing and access to health care. The Republican side is focusing taxes and resources for law enforcement.
Early voting for the March 1 primary is Feb. 14-25.
Precinct 2
The Democratic battle is one between Ruby Faye Woolridge, an Arlington city council member, and Alisa Simmons, Arlington’s NAACP president.
Woolridge, an ordained minister and former educator, has experience as the Tarrant County Democratic Party’s outreach coordinator and election judge. She was also a party precinct chair.
Simmons, a small business owner and former broadcast journalist, has more than two decades of experience as a 9-1-1 administrator in Tarrant County. She has served on boards across the city of Arlington, such as its Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee, and was formerly a part of the Chisholm Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Parenting Center Board of Directors.
Simmon’s and Woolridge’s platforms center on access to health care and affordable housing. Woolridge also wants to improve the area’s transportation. Simmons wants to increase access to programs and services.
The winner will face Republican Andy Nguyen, who served as Precinct 2 commissioner for eight years before he narrowly lost to Allen in 2018. He runs his race uncontested.
Precinct 4
Three Republicans are seeking a nomination in Precinct 4.
And for one candidate, the position hits close to home. Jody Johnson, son of commissioner JD, worked in various roles across the Fort Worth Police Department over the course of 30 years before becoming a constable in Precinct 4. He said his work led to quicker turnarounds on documents and a greater emphasis on education and training for its employees.
His platform includes ensuring safe communities, combating illegal immigration, watching over how tax dollars are spent and making sure Precinct 4 gets the allocations it needs for transportation.
Like Jody, candidate Manny Ramirez also has a background in law enforcement. He’s the president of the Fort Worth Police Officers Association. Before that, he worked as a police manager and hostage negotiator.
Ramirez’s wants to provide resources for law enforcement, improve roads and select projects that bring jobs and development with them.
In a Facebook post, candidate Larry Dale Carpenter boasts himself as the only candidate in Precinct 4 who isn’t a career politician. In the past, Carpenter taught English abroad for three years and found himself in New Zealand after a 2011 earthquake to help rebuild the community, he says on his website.
Carpenter’s platform revolves around resources for the sheriff’s department, like his opponents. He also wants to improve infrastructure, lessen the tax burden and maintain election integrity by ordering a review of the county’s voting machines. He also talks about ending the teaching of critical race theory in schools, though the county commissioners have no oversight over schools.
Cedric Kanyinda is the lone Democratic candidate.
This story was originally published February 11, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
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