Tarrant County considers redrawing commissioners’ precinct boundaries
Tarrant County is considering a plan to redraw commissioners’ precinct boundaries in time for the 2026 election.
Commissioners will consider entering into an agreement Wednesday with the Public Interest Legal Foundation, a law firm from Alexandria, Virginia, best known in Texas for defending Galveston County in federal court over allegations the county unconstitutionally used racial gerrymandering in its 2021 commissioners redistricting.
The firm won that case in 2024, calling it “a huge win … to stop the weaponization of the Voting Rights Act.” Tarrant County would spend up to $30,000 for legal advice and the drawing of potential maps, according to the agenda item.
The Commissioners Court is made up of three Republicans and two Democrats. Republican County Judge Tim O’Hare, Republican Manny Ramirez and Democrat Alisa Simmons are up for reelection in 2026.
Simmons, of Arlington, called the proposed partnership and redistricting a “blatant attempt at racial gerrymandering.” She said redrawing the lines would dilute the voting power of minorities in Precincts 1 and 2.
Ramirez said in a statement on X that he is “very much in favor” of a redistricting plan that’s population-balanced and politically responsible.
“Tarrant County has not redistricted Commissioners precincts for nearly 15 years and has grown by nearly half a million people in that time,” Ramirez said in the post. “Our current precincts are not balanced by population, and I firmly believe we must ensure responsible leadership in this county for the next decade and beyond.”
The Tarrant County GOP said in its weekly newsletter that the redistricting was an opportunity to correct a map that has benefited Democrats for decades.
“There are two Democrat commissioners and two Republican commissioners, because of blatant gerrymandering decades ago which has never been corrected,” the newsletter said. “Precinct 1, for example, snakes all the way across Tarrant County — even touching 3 other counties — just so it can be a democrat-majority district.”
Democrats have consistently held the Precinct 1 seat. Represented by Roderick Miles of Fort Worth, the precinct runs from west of Benbrook, through Fort Worth and north of Arlington. It includes Forest Hill, Edgecliff Village, Crowley and Burleson. Up until 2019, Republicans had held the Precinct 2 seat for 34 years of the last 40.
Miles said he was concerned the redistricting was taking place outside of the census’ 10-year time frame. If the county pursues new maps, he said, he would be committed to a transparent process guided by the protections in the Voting Rights Act.
“Our community deserves a process that is rooted in fairness, one that respects every voice and reflects the full diversity of the people who call Tarrant County home,” he said.
Precinct 2, represented by Simmons, includes Arlington, Dalworthington Gardens, Kennedale, Mansfield, Pantego and Grand Prairie. Republicans represented the district for 34 years until Democrat Devan Allen took the seat in 2019.
Simmons called the proposed redistricting an attempted power grab by O’Hare.
“He and other county leaders allied with him have consistently failed to win majority support in Precincts 1 and 2. … I think, rather than doing the hard and responsible work that you need to do to win the votes of minority citizens in these precincts, they are opting to target and destroy their ability to elect their candidates of choice.”
O’Hare, Ramirez and Republican commissioner Matt Krause did not respond to requests for comment.
Simmons said since she’s up for re-election in 2026, this redistricting attempt threatens her seat in the Commissioners Court.
“The balance of power lies with the Republicans,” she said. “They already have the majority power, I guess they want absolute power. I serve as a voice for the community. They know that they’re heard with me sitting on that Commission’s Court. They know that I am going to advance their concerns. So while we might not have the majority vote, we have a voice and that gives constituents some satisfaction.”
Simmons said there’s absolutely no reason to redraw these lines, especially since the $30,000 maximum price associated with hiring Public Interest Legal Foundation would only be the start of the cost for Tarrant taxpayers.
The GOP newsletter states that Tarrant County Republicans are in full support of the redistricting proposal, saying the county could reap the rewards for years to come.
The commissioners’ meeting will be at 10 a.m. April 2 at the Commissioners Courtroom in the Tarrant County Administration Building, 100 E. Weatherford St.
This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 4:51 PM.