New Tarrant County Judge promises 'transparency' after defeating Republican incumbent

FORT WORTH, Texas - The new Tarrant County Judge wants to lower the temperature of the Tarrant County Commissioners Court after recent meetings have involved clashes with citizens over a number of issues.

Alisa Simmons elected Tarrant County Judge

What we know:

Democrat Alisa Simmons was elected Tarrant County Judge on November 3, unseating Republican incumbent Tim O'Hare. 

O'Hare had held the position since 2023, and no Democrat has been elected Tarrant County Judge in 40 years. No black person or woman has ever held the position.

Simmons won 56% of the vote with 402,291 total votes. O'Hare pulled in 44% of the vote with 311,040 total votes.

Her victory comes despite O'Hare's controversial redistricting plan in 2025, which was meant to increase conservative leadership on the court. O'Hare also successfully campaigned to eliminate nearly 100 Tarrant County polling sites before the midterms.

In addition to Simmons' victory, other Democratic wins in the 2026 elections means the Tarrant County Commissioners Court has swung from a 3-2 Republican majority to a 4-1 Democratic majority.

What they're saying:

"It makes me feel proud," Simmons told FOX 4's Peyton Yager of winning the election. "I am thrilled that the electorate rose like there was an uprising."

Simmons says she wants to give the Tarrant County Commissioners Court more transparency after contentious meetings about the polling site reductions in August and September.

"Moving forward, I can guarantee folks will see more transparency," Simmons said. "They will see they have elected officials that are welcoming."

Multiple people were thrown out of the August and September meetings, with a lawsuit being filed against O'Hare by former Texas State Rep. Lon Burnham following his removal from the court.

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court will also return to two monthly meetings when she assumes her new role. It had gone down to one meeting a month under O'Hare's leadership. Public comment at those meetings will also return to three minutes instead of one minute.

Simmons says she's already looking at the city's budget before she assumes office. "The fiscal health of the county. It's not as healthy as people are led to believe."

She also wants to look in-depth at the recent deaths at the Tarrant County Jail, as well as behavioral and mental health access in Tarrant County.

"All of that partisanship has been an extreme distraction from doing the work. So that is what I am excited about. I get to actually do policy work and govern and make improvements."

Fort WorthTexas Politics2026 Elections