Judge sides with ousted Southlake Republican in House candidacy fight — for now
A North Texas judge on Monday sided with Southlake Republican candidate Zee Wilcox, whose candidacy for a state House district is in question.
Judge Don Cosby, who presides over the 67th District Court, granted a temporary restraining order requested by Wilcox in her challenge of Tarrant County GOP chair Tim Davis’ decision that she is ineligible.
Wilcox is one of three Republicans vying for House District 98 in the March 3 primary, with early voting starting Feb. 17. The district, currently represented by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, spans Colleyville, Grapevine, Keller and Westlake, as well as parts of Euless and Southlake.
Wilcox, who runs a small health and beauty business, sued Davis on Friday. She returns to court later this week.
“This case has never been about me alone,” Wilcox said in a Facebook post, cheering Monday’s outcome in court. “It’s about whether everyday Texans still get a real choice — or whether insiders get to decide for them behind closed doors.
“THEY TRIED TO PUSH ME OFF THE BALLOT. I PUSHED BACK,” Wilcox wrote.
The candidacy challenge contends that Wilcox used the wrong form to file for office in December and left off information that was required. Wilcox was notified of the issue on Dec. 16 and has said she responded and offered to fix any error, but didn’t receive a reply. She was informed in a Jan. 7 email from Davis that he was declaring her “ineligible for the Republican primary ballot.” In a Facebook post on Jan. 8, Davis said Wilcox filed for a state office using a federal form.
The temporary restraining order issued Monday states that — for the time being — Davis cannot remove Wilcox from the primary ballot, alter her status as a candidate or notify the Texas Secretary of State’s office that Wilcox is ineligible or should be excluded from the ballot.
Davis also cannot take “any action that would interfere with Plaintiff’s placement on the ballot or the orderly administration of the Republican primary election with respect to Plaintiff’s candidacy,” the court document reads.
The order remains in place “until further order of the Court or until it expires by operation of law, unless sooner dissolved or extended as permitted by law,” per the court filing. In an interview, Wilcox said the order is effective until Thursday, when the court has scheduled another hearing, this time on a temporary injunction.
Wilcox said it’s her understanding that she will be on the ballot for the Republican primary, but without more permanent action from the court, the validity of her representing House District 98 could come into question, were she to win the election.
“The problem is that March 3, unless I have some permanent ruling, they can... make the whole election, for my part, invalid,” Wilcox said. “So they can erase all the votes for me. Period.”
The Star-Telegram reached out to Davis seeking clarification on whether her name will be on the ballot but did not immediately receive a response. Davis on Friday said he wouldn’t be commenting on the pending litigation.
Wilcox believes her disqualification is political retaliation. Wilcox said she shared that view with the judge on Monday, highlighting that the ineligibility decision came on the same day as a successful Jan. 7 candidate forum, despite the candidacy challenge dating back to mid-December.
“I told the judge, this just smells like retaliation, and it’s not OK, and voters deserve a little better,” Wilcox said.
Davis has disputed a “conspiracy.“
“This was not the result of some vast conspiracy, despite whatever Mrs. Wilcox wants to allege,” Davis said in a Facebook post last week. “Instead, it’s the outcome of choices she made with her filing. The rule of law matters in the TCGOP, and we believe election integrity begins with the very first step in the process: when our candidates file for office.”
The other two candidates in the primary are Keller Mayor Armin Mizani and Colleyville businessman Fred Tate. Two Democrats will also compete in their party’s primary.
Tate told the Star-Telegram he stood by Davis’ decision “to support our election integrity laws.” Mizani has not responded to a request for comment.
This story was originally published January 12, 2026 at 7:10 PM.
