Tarrant County Democrat commissioner announces bid for county judge
Democrat Commissioner Alisa Simmons will be throwing her hat in the ring for county judge.
Simmons, of Arlington, filled the Precinct 2 commissioner seat vacated by Democrat Devan Allen in 2022. In the March Democratic primary, Simmons will be running against Lydia Bean. Whoever wins that race will face Republican Incumbent Tim O’Hare on the November ballot.
Simmons’s Commissioners Court report card
In the 2022 election for Precinct 2 County Commissioner, Simmons’ top priorities were to lower property taxes, improve public safety and expand access to public health.
When Simmons was elected in 2022, the county’s tax rate was 22.90 cents per $100 valuation. In her four-year term, the rate has dropped annually and settled at a tax rate of 18.62 cents per $100 valuation for 2026. Passing the tax rate takes a majority vote from the five-member court. This was also a campaign pledge of Republicans Manny Ramirez and O’Hare, both of whom are up for re-election this year.
In September, Simmons and fellow Democrat Commissioner Roderick Miles broke quorum to keep what they considered a “destructive” tax rate from passing, though Miles said he was out sick. Simmons and Miles said they are in favor of lower taxes, but felt this rate cut past fat in the county’s budget and into bone.
As far as public safety goes, Simmons has been highly critical of Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn because there have been over 70 inmate deaths since he took office in 2017. While on court, she has been an advocate for the families of people who died.
In August, Simmons was the sole vote against shuttering the county’s Human Services department, which aided residents in need of emergency rental and utility assistance as well as more long-term financial assistance for older people. The county opted to outsource the charge to Center For Transforming Lives, which has picked up the gauntlet to operate efficiently and give out more assistance than the county department had.
Redistricting and dais division
From the time O’Hare began the unusual mid-decade redistricting in April, Simmons was staunchly against the move. She continually called for the use of the same map that had been in place since 2011 and was given a standing ovation for fighting against the new map when it was voted in by the Republican majority in June.
Though in a 2022 Star-Telegram candidate survey she said, “I am a reach-across-the-aisle type problem solver, not a hardcore partisan,” she has been known to go toe-to-toe with Republican County Judge Tim O’Hare.
More often than not, Simmons and O’Hare are in a dispute. At one point, her supporters called his treatment of her misogynistic and racist, to which he said Simmons has a history of alleging unfounded racism.
This story was originally published December 6, 2025 at 11:12 AM.