Mayors of Keller, Southlake, Colleyville, North Richland Hills urge redistricting
Four mayors in Northeast Tarrant County suburbs have publicly given their support for county commissioners to redraw commissioner precincts, a proposal that opponents have called racial gerrymandering.
A letter signed by the mayors of Keller, Southlake, Colleyville and North Richland Hills says the Republican-led redistricting proposal is long overdue. Their position stands in contrast to that of eight other mayors, including Fort Worth and Arlington’s, who last week urged the commissioners to delay a scheduled June 3 vote on a new precinct map. Fort Worth and Arlington city councils have passed resolutions opposing redistricting.
The four mayors, whose cities are among the most conservative in the Metroplex, point out that the county has grown by about 400,000 people since the last redistricting in 2010. They called it “political malfeasance” that maps weren’t redrawn in 2021, after the decennial census.
The two Democrats on the Commissioners Court, who oppose redistricting, maintain that Tarrant County went through a redistricting process in 2021 but voted 4-1 to keep the current map. Many residents who have shown up to speak at commissioners court and the redistricting public hearings side with the Democrats.
The four mayors’ letter says they support County Judge Tim O’Hare’s effort to keep Tarrant County under Republican leadership.
“People and corporations relocate to Tarrant County, because of communities like ours which offer low taxes, an advantageous business climate, safe neighborhoods, great schools, world class amenities, and the conservative ideals we hold dearly — helping keep Tarrant County the last remaining large conservative county in the State of Texas,” reads the letter, signed by mayors Armin Mizani of Keller, Shawn McCaskill of Southlake, Bobby Lindamood of Colleyville and Jack McCarty of North Richland Hills.
The letter says that the county should do everything it can “to keep Tarrant County, Tarrant County,” and thus they strongly support the redistricting plan, encouraging the most conservative option.
In a statement sent out in the late afternoon Friday, Precinct 2 Commissioner Alisa Simmons said she is “disappointed but not surprised” that the Northeast Tarrant mayors “succumbed to pressure and are advancing the lies of County Judge Tim O’Hare.”
She said the mayors have been “badly misinformed” and is owed an apology by O’Hare. Given that the cities the mayors represent are unaffected by any of the proposed maps, Simmons said they “may not be aware of the horrible damage the proposed maps will do to other cities in our county.”
O’Hare did not immediately respond to the Star-Telegram’s request for comment.
Two mayors change their minds on Tarrant redistricting
On May 23, Arlington Mayor Jim Ross led a group of 10 mayors in writing a letter to the Commissioners Court in opposition to redistricting. The letter urged the court to pump the brakes on the process, citing legal concerns with outdated population data and Voting Rights Act violations.
Since then, two of those mayors have changed their minds.
O’Hare posted on X that Dalworthington Gardens Mayor Laurie Bianco and Pantego Mayor Russ Brewster signed the letter before doing research.
Neither said they are in support of redistricting, though Bianco said she trusts the commissioners will make the right decision for the citizens of Tarrant County.
Ross said both mayors spoke with him about removing their signatures. Bianco said she had been assured by Public Interest Legal Foundation, the law firm aiding in redrawing the maps, that everything was being done lawfully.
County leaders are moving unusually fast since hiring a firm to begin the process April 2. Political scientists have told the Star-Telegram that a redistricting process usually goes on for six months to a year.
This story was originally published May 30, 2025 at 12:37 PM.