Latest news with #TarrantCountyRepublicanParty
Miami Herald
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Democrats crowed nationally about this week's Texas elections. Here are the facts.
One constant truth about local elections is that turnout is so low, the smallest surge can make the biggest difference. Another is that when it does, people will rush to interpret — or misinterpret — what the results might mean for the next big state or national election. So, it's not surprising that victories by moderate or even progressive candidates in school and city elections in some of the redder areas of Texas, including Tarrant County, have people wondering if this is a sign of a nationwide wave to come or even the start of the great Democratic dream: turning Texas blue. The short answer: No. It's noteworthy, of course, when hard-right candidates lose in bright-red suburbs. But Democrats are eager for any opportunity to register dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump, the MAGA agenda and Christian conservatives who have spent years now targeting certain school boards and other races. Democrats crowed about the results. The national party even took a victory lap about its 'overperformance' in these nonpartisan races, in which almost no one campaigned openly as a Democrat. The Tarrant County Republican Party famously went 0-for-11 in races in which it made endorsements, a rare step for nonpartisan elections. TRUMP PUSHBACK AND THE COMING MIDTERM ELECTIONS It's fair to call it more evidence that Democrats remain on track to do well in next year's midterm elections. But that's due to the Trump pushback and most of all, basic history and math — out-of-power parties tend to win big in the middle of a presidential term of the opposing party. Democrats, while at an ebb in their power and popularity, still have a hearty base of voters. They'll probably even do better in Texas than in 2022, when Republicans maxed out their frustration at Joe Biden and held power statewide without breaking a sweat. Or like in 2024, when Tarrant County swung back to Trump's column but went narrowly against Ted Cruz while he was winning an otherwise resounding reelection to the Senate. That doesn't mean Democrats are on track for lasting gains. As for the local GOP's shutout, that's a reflection of the party's narrowing base of activists choosing glow-in-the-dark candidates over sensible conservatives who can win just about anywhere. Democrats in Texas have just one piece of the formula: voter anger. What they don't have, and don't show signs of acquiring soon, is money, organization or compelling statewide candidates. So by all means, take note of what happened in Texas' local elections. It definitely speaks to Democrats' anger at Trump and the limits voters will set on ideological governance. Just don't expect the narrative that played out in Keller or Katy to repeat there, let alone in Kentucky or Kalamazoo.
CBS News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
In Mansfield, re-elected Mayor says voters sent a message: "People are tired of the uber partisanship"
Re-elected Mansfield mayor says voters sent a message: "People are tired of the uber partisanship" Re-elected Mansfield mayor says voters sent a message: "People are tired of the uber partisanship" Re-elected Mansfield mayor says voters sent a message: "People are tired of the uber partisanship" Mansfield Mayor Michael Evans won re-election over the weekend by defeating challenger Julie Short, who was backed by the Tarrant County Republican Party and other groups. Evans said voters in this non-partisan race like the direction of the city and pushed back against partisan politics being a part of the campaign. "People are tired of the uber partisanship," said Evans. "We won with a cross section of voters, and the people want to make sure that they send a message. That partisan politics on the local level is bad for business. We have to serve everybody." Shift in school board membership It's not just at City Hall. Partisan politics also entered local school board races in Mansfield. The Tarrant County GOP also backed the three incumbent school board members on the ballot. All the challengers won: Ana-Alicia Horn beat the board president, Keziah Valdes Farrar. Jason Thomas unseated Board secretary Craig Tipping. Jesse Cannon II defeated incumbent Bianca Benavides Anderson. "When you have individuals who were saying that they want to keep Tarrant red, or individuals who are saying that, you know, 'Mansfield is turning too blue,'" Evans said. "They did not understand, I don't think, the makeup or the demographics of our city, of our locale. I mean, we've got people that come from everywhere. They have different ideologies." Tarrant County Republican Party Chairman Bo French said he believes his party needs to do a better job motivating Republican voters to get involved in local elections. He said the party backed the candidates after asking them if they wanted their endorsement. "We spent a little money trying to alert people to what was going on in Mansfield," said French. "We always want to help candidates that are going to be for lower taxes, lowering your property taxes, you know, not having the craziness in our school systems with the LGTBQ nonsense and the DEI nonsense." Voter motivation and key issues In a phone interview, school board member-elect Jason Thomas said he believes he and the other challengers won because their opponents didn't attend community forums and that voters disagreed with the school district's policies surrounding reviews of school library books and students using pronouns. Crystal Gayden, Tarrant County Democratic Party Chair, said that voters pushed back against the new school choice education savings accounts law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott over the weekend. French disagreed and said school choice has been a Republican priority and that his party is being falsely accused. "We're the ones who get accused of being partisan," said French. "No, this is a response to the partisanship that Democrats have already injected into the process." Evans feels differently about the message voters sent. "I'm hoping that the actual message that went out is saying, 'Stay out of local matters,'" said Evans. Both party chairs, French and Gayden, agree, there is no such thing as non-partisan races anymore — the only difference is that school board, mayoral and city council races don't go through the primaries. Watch Eye On Politics on CBS News Texas at 7:30 Sunday morning on air and streaming
