Tarrant County hires chief deputy clerk to be the new elections administrator
Tarrant County’s elections commission has unanimously voted to hire Clint Ludwig, the chief deputy of the county clerk’s office, to be the new elections chief.
Ludwig was one of three finalists for the job. According to his online resume, he has worked as chief deputy for the county for more than six years. He previously worked in recruiting for the U.S. Marine Corps.
He will replace Heider Garcia, who resigned from his position in a letter dated April 16 that cited differences between himself and County Judge Tim O’Hare on how to run elections.
Ludwig could not immediately be reached for comment at his office Friday morning, but a county spokesperson forwarded a statement from Ludwig to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“I am extremely honored to have been selected as the Tarrant County Elections Administrator,” Ludwig wrote. “I will approach this opportunity with great enthusiasm, tenacity, and a commitment to excellence. You can trust that I will further Tarrant County’s legacy of conducting free and fair elections that express the will of the people.
“While I do not have experience directly in elections, I have years as a senior executive in a large organization, a proven track record of exceeding expectations in all that I undertake, and 20 years in the United States Marine Corps where I learned early and often to adapt and overcome. This will be the foundation of our collective success. I want to thank the Tarrant County Commissioners Court and the Tarrant County Election Commission for their confidence in me.”
Ludwig will likely assume his new role Aug. 1.
The next step is a vote to approve Ludwig’s salary by the Tarrant County Commissioners Court. The job posting read that the position could pay at least $164,000.
Other applicants for the job
The other two finalists for elections administrator were Karen Wiseman and Fred Crosley.
Crosley, the former chief financial officer for Trinity Metro, did not come to interviews Friday. A representative with the county administrator’s office said he canceled his interview.
Wiseman previously worked with First American Payment Systems for nearly 20 years. She is also president of the 5 Stones Foundation, a group focused on anti-human trafficking efforts in Tarrant County that has a volunteer task force with the Fort Worth Police Department.
Wiseman previously sued Garcia over public records requests she made into the 2021 Fort Worth mayoral and city council races, claiming the county did not take measures to preserve the documents beyond what was required in state code. Her case closed May 9 — the same day interviews for the election administrator job began.
Ahead of November’s midterm elections, Wiseman left a letter in one voter’s mailbox asking if they had voted at a center located in Fort Worth’s Stop Six neighborhood. Wiseman wrote that she was part of a group investigating the integrity of local elections but did not identify which group she was with.
Tarrant is one of 90 counties in Texas with countywide voting, meaning registered voters can cast their ballot at any vote center in the county.
An expert who spoke with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said Wiseman’s consideration for the position was “rare” for a job where nonpartisanship is the standard.
A judge ruled last week that the county had to produce the documents Wiseman requested, according to online court filings.
‘An outstanding choice’
Before the election commission’s vote to hire Ludwig, O’Hare said there were around 35 applicants.
“In terms of truly qualified applicants, that’s debatable,” O’Hare said, adding that he felt Wiseman, Crosley and Ludwig were the three people who could do the job.
O’Hare said Wiseman was “capable” and “cares a lot about our country and elections.”
“But I do believe, my opinion is that Clint would make an outstanding choice,” O’Hare said.
The county’s elections commission is made up of O’Hare, Tarrant GOP chair Rick Barnes, Tarrant County Democratic Party chair Allison Campolo, tax assessor-collector Wendy Burgess and county clerk Mary Louise Nicholson.
Campolo told the Star-Telegram that Ludwig would do well and was the most qualified.
Most of the candidates did not have experience being an elections administrator, Campolo said, which was a “pretty tall order to fill right off the bat.”
“I think Clint, having been the deputy for Mary Louise’s whole department here in the county and having, been a director, you know, for the Marine Corps before that, has really a ton of experience both in county government and with overseeing enough employees to make that experience relevant,” Campolo said. “So I think he’ll do a great job.”
Campolo said the job was tough to hire for.
“We’re the third largest county in Texas, one of the top in the country, and it’s also a politically difficult time, right,” Campolo said. “So, I think highly qualified people are in short supply and then people willing to do this very difficult job in this political climate is also challenging as well.”
Barnes said Ludwig will do an “outstanding” job as the next elections chief.
“We need somebody who’s ready, ready to jump in and get after it immediately,” Barnes said. “And I think he has that capacity.”
Nicholson wrote in a statement that while there wasn’t a candidate who had direct experience in overseeing elections, the commission thought Ludwig had the managerial experience to do the job.
“His exemplary leadership skills, as well as an outstanding body of work for Tarrant County over the last several years, gives us confidence that he is the Elections Administrator Tarrant County needs,” Nicholson wrote.
O’Hare declined to speak with a Star-Telegram reporter following the meeting and instead posted a statement to Twitter Friday afternoon.
“He can handle the pressure and Tarrant County voters can rest assured Clint will be a no-nonsense Elections Administrator, and one who will work to ensure safe and secure elections where everyone will feel confident in the process, O’Hare wrote.
He continued: “It is evident Clint loves his country, freedom, and believes that free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our Constitutional Republic. While the other finalists all brought their own unique strengths and talents to the table, Tarrant County is fortunate to have Clint at the helm of our Elections moving forward.”
O’Hare also made a reference to the Star-Telegram’s story on the three finalists for elections administrator, and called the media’s handling of the process ridiculous.
“Any sober-minded resident of Tarrant County, of any political persuasion, can be proud of the process that led to the selection of our new Administrator,” he wrote.
Burgess did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.
This story was originally published June 16, 2023 at 10:36 AM.
