This Republican is best bet for county commissioner post open for 1st time in 36 years
The job of county commissioner comes with a full plate of infrastructure issues to address and rising property taxes to mitigate.
This year marks the first time the seat for Precinct 4 in northwest Tarrant County has been open for competition in three decades. Three Republicans seek to replace Commissioner J.D. Johnson: They are Johnson’s son, Joe D. “Jody” Johnson, Manny Ramirez and Larry Dale Carpenter Jr. .
Ramirez, 33, strikes a good balance between experience and zeal, young enough to be eager to try to do things differently but mature enough to have the kind of qualifications to show he could address the problems facing Precinct 4, which covers most of western Tarrant County, too.
A Fort Worth police officer for 10 years and president of the Fort Worth Police Officers Association, Ramirez, who lives in unincorporated Tarrant County near Eagle Mountain Lake, has been a public servant with a growing interest in local politics.
In our interview with the candidates, he offered solid ideas for property taxes and infrastructure. Ramirez would aim to be a voice on the North Central Texas Council of Governments so that if large construction projects like the one on Boat Club Road occur again, the residents of Precinct 4 are better heard.
Ramirez’s opponents are highlighting that he didn’t regularly vote until a few years ago. His answer in our interview was that he was working late shifts as an officer. That’s not good enough, but it’s also not disqualifying.
Carpenter, a 34-year-old who also lives near Eagle Mountain Lake, lacks the hands-on experience for the job. He seems more focused on hot-button political issues, such as whether the county has drifted too far to the ideological left, than on the nuts and bolts of county government.
Johnson, a longtime police officer and county constable, certainly has the qualifications and experience for the role. The 59-year-old resident of the Silver Creek area of unincorporated Tarrant County knows county government, but we believe Ramirez would offer a more hands-on approach.
Early voting runs Feb. 14-25, and Election Day is March 1. There will be a May runoff in the race if none of these candidates receives a majority. The winner will face Democrat Cedric C. Kanyinda in the general election.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHey, who is behind these endorsements?
Members of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice, decide candidates and positions to recommend to voters. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bud Kennedy, columnist; Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor; and Nicole Russell, opinion writer.
Members of our Community Advisory Board may also participate in candidate interviews and offer their views, but they do not vote on which candidate to recommend.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
How does the process work?
The Editorial Board interviews candidates, asking about positions on issues, experience and qualifications, and how they would approach holding the office for which they are running. Board members do additional research on candidates’ backgrounds and the issues at hand. After that, members discuss the candidates and generally aim to arrive at a consensus, though not necessarily unanimity. All members contribute observations and ideas, so the resulting editorials represent the board’s view, not a particular writer.
How do partisanship and ideology factor in?
We’re not tied to one party or the other, and our positions on issues range across the ideological spectrum. We tend to prefer candidates who align with our previously stated positions, but qualifications, temperament and experience are important, too.
This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 5:03 AM.