U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey will run for Tarrant County judge, not Congress
U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, a Fort Worth Democrat who was drawn out of his congressional district, will run for Tarrant County judge.
Tarrant County Democratic Party Chair Allison Campolo and a spokesperson for Veasey confirmed he had filed for the county leadership role, not for Congress.
“This decision is about where I can best serve the people of Tarrant County,” Veasey said in a Monday statement. “It’s about strengthening our party, opening the door for new leadership, and ensuring that our community continues to thrive. And it’s about bringing the fight for fairness, economic opportunity, and democracy back home — because North Texas needs it now more than ever.”
Veasey’s bid for county judge follows Texas’ mid-decade redistricting, which prompted uncertainty about which map would be in effect for the 2026 elections and where North Texas candidates would run. The map, which opponents have argued is racially discriminatory, positions Republicans to pick up five seats in Texas.
When the 2025 map was briefly blocked from being used in the 2026 midterms, Veasey said he planned to run for reelection to his current seat. As drawn, the district spanned parts of Tarrant and Dallas Counties.
But the U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 4 cleared the way for the new map to be used for the 2026 election, and in doing so pushed Congressional District 33 outside of Tarrant County. Veasey has been a vocal critic of the mid-decade redistricting effort, including testifying during the Legislative process in Austin.
He was expected to announce for Congressional District 30 in North Texas. That seat is held by U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Dallas Democrat, who is running for U.S. Senate.
Tarrant County Precinct 2 Commissioner Alisa Simmons and Millennium Anton Christopher Woods, Jr. have also filed in the Democratic primary bids for the county judge seat. Lydia Bean had announced a county judge campaign, but instead opted to run for Tarrant County clerk.
County Judge Tim O’Hare, the Republican incumbent, is seeking reelection in what’s long been considered one of the last urban GOP counties in the nation.
Still, Democrats have seen some success in recent years, with former President Joe Biden winning Tarrant County in 2020 and former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke winning the county during his 2018 Senate bid. President Donald Trump, a Republican, won the county in 2024.
Tarrant County is “at a crossroads,” Veasey said in his statement.
“I’ve seen firsthand how racially gerrymandered maps were designed to weaken the power of Black and Latino voters in North Texas — communities I have spent my entire career fighting for,” he said. “The people here deserve leadership grounded in truth, service, and respect — not division, extremism, and political stunts. I refuse to sit on the sidelines while County Judge Tim O’Hare drags this community backward. I’m not running away from a fight — I’m running toward the next battle.”
O’Hare’s campaign, responding to Veasey’s countywide run, blasted Democrats in Washington, linking Veasey to Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“Congressman Veasey brings a consistently liberal Washington record of being soft on crime, weak on border security, and supportive of higher taxes,” O’Hare’s campaign spokesperson Nick Maddux said in a statement. Later in the comment he added, “Tarrant County deserves results, not partisan politics. That’s why we welcome a clear contrast between Judge O’Hare’s record of delivering lower taxes, safer communities, and keeping his promises, and not Congressman Veasey’s 20-year radical Washington record.”
Veasey has served in Congress since 2013 and previously served in the Texas House. He is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and founded the first Congressional Voting Rights Caucus.
“I’m running because this county deserves a leader who will unite our communities, protect our democracy, expand economic opportunity, and fight for every family-from Stop Six to Arlington, from the Stockyards to Southlake, Colleyville, and Grapevine, all the way to Mansfield and the heart of Fort Worth,” Veasey said. “The path to our state’s future runs straight through Tarrant County — where our diversity, our grit, and our determination set the course for the entire state.”
Candidate filing for the 2026 Democratic and Republican primaries closed at 6 p.m. Monday.
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 5:51 PM.
