Arlington friends battle for Democratic county commissioner nod. Here’s our recommendation
The Democratic primary for Tarrant County Commissioners Court Precinct 2 is a nail-biter for reasons you may not expect.
The candidates, Arlington City Council member Ruby Fay Woolridge and Alisa Simmons, a small-business owner who’s president of Arlington’s NAACP chapter, are old friends. But their race is getting personal.
In the candidates’ joint interview with the Editorial Board, Simmons said that Woolridge was seeking the county commissioner post because of its fairly generous salary. Woolridge denied it and said she was disappointed in Simmons for stooping to an attack. Simmons also said incorrectly that Woolridge had not been appointed to any committees as a council member.
Woolridge, 73, is the better choice. She said she’s focused on mitigating the effects of COVID-19. wants to expand economic development in the precinct, which covers much of southeast Tarrant County, as well as address the rising costs of housing and transportation hurdles.
With years of community service, Woolridge has connections to hit the ground running and would know how to get things done across party lines.
Simmons, a 59-year-old Arlington resident, has a quiet, thoughtful demeanor, which was why her attack on Woolridge was such a surprise. In our interview, she said if elected, she’d like to address the lack of affordable housing and smooth public transportation hurdles, though she stressed she didn’t want to raise taxes, either.
Early voting starts Monday and ends Feb. 25 for the March 1 election. The winner will face former Republican commissioner Andy Nguyen, unopposed in his primary as he tries to reclaim the seat.
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.