Tim O’Hare takes over as Tarrant County judge, a new era of conservative leadership
New leadership is here for Tarrant County.
Republican Tim O’Hare was sworn in as county judge Sunday afternoon at Tarrant County’s historic courthouse, ushering a new era of conservative leadership in what’s referred to as the state’s last large Republican county.
O’Hare replaces Glen Whitley, who served 26 years on the commissioners court and didn’t seek reelection.
The lawyer from Southlake begins his tenure as county judge with experience on Farmers Branch’s City Council in Dallas County. He served as a council member from 2005 to 2008 before taking over as the city’s mayor until 2011. He was also Tarrant County GOP’s chair from 2016 to 2018.
O’Hare’s induction onto the commissioners court marks a transition in Tarrant County politics. The county has largely been governed by middle-right leadership from Whitley, a Republican, and Tom Vandergriff, who was county judge for 16 years before Whitley. With O’Hare, the county takes a sharper turn to the right.
As a council member in Farmers Branch, O’Hare championed policies that prohibited landlords from renting to undocumented immigrants and made English the city’s official language. When he left Dallas County and moved to Southlake, he founded the Southlake Families PAC, which fought against the implementation of a cultural competence plan in Southlake-Carroll schools.
In his campaign for county judge, O’Hare advocated for slashing the county’s property tax rate by 20%. O’Hare also wants to create an election integrity officer position that, if approved by the commissioners court, would seek to improve election practices and look out for instances of voter fraud.
Despite the changes in leadership, the commissioners court’s makeup remains the same — three Republicans and two Democrats.
Two new commissioners, Democrat Alisa Simmons of Precinct 2 and Republican Manny Ramirez of Precinct 4, took their oaths in separate ceremonies Sunday at the Arlington Subcourthouse and Tarrant County Courthouse, respectively.
Commissioners Roy Charles Brooks, a Democrat who represents Precinct 1 (Burleson, Benbrook), and Gary Fickes, a Republican who represents Precinct 3 (Southlake, Keller, Grapevine, Colleyville), remain on the court. Fickes will not seek re-election in 2024.
A large crowd attended O’Hare’s ceremony including outgoing Texas Republican Rep. Matt Krause, Tarrant GOP chair Rick Barnes, Sheriff Bill Waybourn and commissioners Fickes and Brooks.
Waybourn told the crowd that he believed God had made Tarrant County the “shining beacon” for the rest of the country and that O’Hare would help lead the way for the county’s continued success.
Krause said that in the 12 to 13 years he’s known O’Hare, the incoming county judge has always led faithfully in everything he’s done.
“He has done everything well and done it with excellence,” Krause said.
While some may wonder whether O’Hare will do a good job as county judge, Krause pointed right back to his record.
After he took his oath of office, O’Hare said it was an incredible day for Tarrant County.
“I cannot tell you how honored I am to be the county judge of Tarrant County, Texas, what I believe is the greatest county in the greatest state in the greatest country that God has ever put on the face of this earth,” O’Hare said. He was met with cheers.
He gave credit to his wife, Christen, and four young daughters. And he told the crowd that he will do what he thinks will be the right thing for everyone in Tarrant County.
O’Hare promised to never shut down businesses, schools or churches. He said he would make sure people wouldn’t leave Tarrant County because of high property taxes and crime.
And every decision he makes, he said, will be made through his faith.
“I will listen and I will try to learn and I don’t have all the answers and I don’t pretend to have all the answers,” O’Hare said. “But I will work my tail off to make sure I get the answers and make good decisions that are in the best interest of our county in this great place that we call home.”
