Commissioner’s top aide wins Democratic runoff for Tarrant County seat
Roderick Miles, a top aide for Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks, leads the Democratic primary for the Commissioner Court’s Precinct 1 seat with 62.18% of the vote, according to unofficial early voting results and 91 of 106 vote centers reporting.
Brooks has held the seat since 2004. He announced in September that he would not be seeking reelection.
Miles’ opponent, former Fort Worth city council member Kathleen Hicks, has 37.82% of the vote.
Miles said the election results felt surreal and that it “hasn’t fully sunk in yet,” but stopped short of declaring victory.
“I am declaring that currently, I am in the lead,” Miles said just before 9:30 p.m.
During the packed primary race in March just over 5% of the vote separated the two: Hicks gaining 36.87% of the vote to Miles’ 31.55%.
“We worked extremely hard to connect with as many voters we possibly could,” Miles said. “I wasn’t surprised. Because we put in the work.”
Miles also complimented the other three candidates he ran against, especially Hicks.
“There were four quality candidates who started out in this race and I just want to take my hat off to all of them. I want to take my hat off and acknowledge the great campaign Kathleen ran. She’s a great woman,” Miles said.
Miles added that he is thankful to the voters of Precinct 1.
Both candidates have gained notable endorsements. Miles has support from his boss and U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey. Hicks ran against Veasey in 2012.
Meanwhile state Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, and Crowley school board member Mia Hall have endorsed Hicks. Hall received 24.78% of the primary vote for the Precinct 1 commissioner seat.
Hicks was elected to the Fort Worth City Council in 2005 when she was 32 and represented central and southeast Fort Worth until she ran for Congress.
Miles has never sought elected office but has worked for Brooks for the past 10 years and told the Star-Telegram in a voter guide questionnaire that his time working for Brooks and his civic involvement qualifies him for the job.
Miles said the first issue he will tackle if elected to the court is addressing the problems at the county jail.
“I’m committed to working with my colleagues on the court to resolve those issues,” he said.
The winner of this primary will face Michael Barber, the uncontested Republican nominee, in November.
The voters of Tarrant County Precinct 1 have voted a Democrat on to the court for over 80 years, according to county records and newspaper archives. Since 1968 only three commissioners have held the seat.
This story was originally published May 28, 2024 at 7:19 PM.
