Latest news with #TimO'Hare
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dallas, Fort Worth Police Ready Ahead of ‘No Kings Day' Mobilization
Police in Dallas and Fort Worth are preparing for this weekend's protests against President Donald Trump. Left-wing activists are planning nationwide protests against Trump June 14, dubbed 'No Kings Day.' Various demonstrations will take place across the DFW metroplex. As The Dallas Express previously reported, this comes on the heels of violent anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles and Dallas. Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker told The Dallas Express she has 'full faith' in the Fort Worth Police Department to manage the 'No Kings Day' protest this Saturday. She said, 'the city has been coordinating with state and federal agencies to allow for peaceful protests but upholding law and order in our community.' Fort Worth Police will be monitoring the protests, said Officer Cynthia Wood in an email to The Dallas Express. 'The Fort Worth Police Department is working closely with our community and our Intelligence Fusion Center to monitor all activity during any peaceful protests that may take place in the City of Fort Worth,' Wood said. The Dallas Police Department's 'main priority' is the safety of people who 'live, work, and visit' the city, according to a statement Lt. Tramese Jones provided to The Dallas Express. 'The Department will not interfere with a lawful and peaceful assembly of any individuals or groups expressing their First Amendment rights,' Jones said. 'Participants will see our patrols as they always do at large events.' The Dallas Express asked for more specific details, but Jones said, 'we do not release that information for operational reasons.' 'No King's Day' protests are scheduled for June 14 in downtown Dallas and Fort Worth, according to an online event map. The left-wing demonstrations are also set to take place in Arlington, Burleson, Denton, Euless, Flower Mound, Frisco, McKinney, and Sanger. The Indivisible Project, a powerful left-wing network, is working with other prominent progressive advocacy groups to sponsor 'No Kings' protests across the nation June 14. The group has boosted similar protest movements earlier this year, providing things like 'infrastructure to get the campaign off the ground,' according to The Federalist. As The Dallas Express previously reported, Indivisible was funded in part by George Soros' Open Society Foundations. Indivisible's Fort Worth chapter targeted Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare and County Commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez in a post on Bluesky. 'Black, Brown, White, queer, immigrant, working class. We rise together! We're done w leaders who divide us. WE run the show. Not the likes of Tim O'Hare, Manny Ramirez, and Matt Krause, trying to build their MAGA safehaven.' 'Peaceful demonstrations are a constitutional right as long as they don't escalate into violence, rioting and lawlessness like what we've seen in California. That type of behavior will not be tolerated in Tarrant County,' O'Hare said to The Dallas Express. 'I have full confidence in the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office and all our local police departments that law and order will be maintained. Tarrant County has earned its reputation as a safe place to live, and we intend to keep it that way.' The 'No Kings' protests are partnering with groups including 50501, which – as The Dallas Express previously reported – targeted the metroplex with demonstrations earlier this year. Other prominent groups include the ACLU, Bernie Sanders and his group Our Revolution, Move On of the Tesla Takedown protests, and May Day Strong of the recent May Day protests. Organizers are coordinating the protests through the left-wing platform Mobilize America. As The Federalist previously reported, Mobilize falls under Bonterra – which was launched by the London-based private firm Apax Partners, and which also oversees the Democrat Party's comprehensive voter database. The Dallas Express reached out to 'No Kings,' but the group did not comment in time for publication.
Axios
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Tarrant County faces lawsuit over new commissioner precincts
Five Tarrant County residents are suing to block the county's redrawn Commissioners Court precincts, saying the new boundaries will unfairly impact Black and Latino voters starting next year. Why it matters: The redistricting is likely to reshape the court, which oversees county government, and give Republicans an edge over Democrats in upcoming elections. Driving the news: Commissioners voted 3-2 to approve the new map on Tuesday, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats opposing, after a meeting that stretched seven hours and had hundreds of speakers. Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare, who voted in favor of the new map, said it will make the county's governance more conservative. Between the lines: It's rare for counties to redraw precincts in the middle of a decade. Redistricting typically happens every 10 years when census figures are updated. Friction point: O'Hare said on X that the updated boundaries align with the county's "longstanding conservative majority" and reflect "the will of the voters." The map's critics say it was drawn using outdated census data — not reflecting the county's recent growth — and will unfairly favor Republicans in future elections. Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen and several other mayors in Tarrant County had asked the commissioners to delay redistricting until more up-to-date demographic figures were released. State of play: County records show the previous Precincts 1 and 2 mostly favored Democratic candidates for governor, U.S. Senate and president since 2018, while Precincts 3 and 4 favored Republicans. The newly drawn Precincts 1, 2 and 3 have historically favored Republican candidates, per the county. Context: Redistricting is just one part of the Tarrant County judge's efforts to make Tarrant County more conservative. During O'Hare's tenure, the county has become an example of the impact that far-right Republicans can have in local government. The big picture: The county has added at least 400,000 residents since 2010 and has been politically purple in recent elections. President Trump lost the county in 2020 and won in 2024, while U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz narrowly lost last year. Unofficial Census Bureau figures from July 2024 show Tarrant County is 42% white, 31% Hispanic or Latino, 19% Black and 6% Asian. Yes, but: Since taking office in 2023, O'Hare has cut an organization's funding over its views on racial inequality and LGBTQ+ rights, questioned election integrity despite having no proof, and supported the placement of a Ten Commandments monument on county property. The intrigue: Higher-ranking Texas Republicans have also taken an interest in Tarrant County's politics in recent years. Republican Matt Krause served in the Texas House between 2013 and 2023. He is now a Tarrant County commissioner for Precinct 3. The redrawn districts put Globe Life Field, AT&T Stadium and Texas Live! in Krause's precinct. The area was previously in Precinct 2, represented by Democrat Alisa Simmons. State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, a Republican from Arlington, plans to retire from the Texas House and run for the redrawn Precinct 2. He told the Star-Telegram that the commissioners' redistricting vote "nudged" his decision. What they're saying: The federal lawsuit against Tarrant County alleges that the new precincts will "pack the bulk of the County's minority voters into a single precinct." The other side: "Far too often Democrats take ground while Republicans cede it. This is no longer the case in Tarrant County," O'Hare said in a statement on X this week.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tarrant County sued over new commissioners court map; lawsuit claims racial discrimination
The Brief Tarrant County and Judge Tim O'Hare face a federal lawsuit alleging their new commissioners court map is racially discriminatory. The suit claims the map violates voting rights by concentrating most minority voters into one precinct, diluting their influence elsewhere. The map was approved by a 3-2 vote on Tuesday. TARRANT COUNTY, Texas - A federal lawsuit has been filed against Tarrant County and Judge Tim O'Hare claiming the county's new commissioners court map intentionally discriminates based on race. The lawsuit comes just one day after the Republican-led Commissioners Court approved the new map in a 3-2 vote. The suit claims the new map violates the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution. The backstory Currently, Tarrant County Commissioners Court consists of Republican County Judge Tim O'Hare, two Republican Commissioners and two Democratic commissioners. Critics of redistricting say the new map increases the chances that at least one of the two Democratic-leaning precincts will flip during the next election. O'Hare told FOX 4 the redistricting effort fulfills a campaign promise to increase the court's Republican majority. "For us not to do that, when we are the controlling party, the majority party, would be foolish on our part, because we know if we lost, they would do the exact same thing," said O'Hare. "Tarrant County is alive and well in terms of being a red county and we intend to keep it that way." Dig deeper The lawsuit says that on April 2, 2025, Tarrant County entered into a contract with the Virginia-based Public Interest Legal Foundation to redraw the districts. According to the suit, the new map packs the bulk of the county's minority voters into one precinct while splitting the others among the three other precincts. "While Map 7 disenfranchises just 5% of Tarrant County's Anglo adults, it disenfranchises 19% of the County's Black adults and 12% of its Latino adults. Black adults are thus four times more likely than Anglo adults to be disenfranchised under Map 7 and Latino adults are over twice as likely to be disenfranchised than Anglo adults," reads the suit. Five Tarrant County voters who are now in new districts were named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The suit claims the Black and Latino voters are disenfranchised because they are now unable to vote for County Commissioner in the Nov. 2026 election. Under the previous map, they would have been able to cast their ballot. Typically, redistricting is done every 10 years after the census. The Tarrant County Commissioners Court voted not to change it after the 2020 census. The suit argues that there was no population imbalance or other reason to require the map change. "Specifically, the plan was drafted and passed in a process designed to be discriminatory, at least in part, to minimize the political power of Black voters and Latino voters by limiting their ability to influence commissioner court elections to a single district out of four when minorities are the majority of residents in the County and just shy of half of eligible voters in Tarrant County," reads the suit. The suit calls to permanently stop Tarrant County from adopting Map 7 and asks for any future maps to go under review in federal court. What they're saying FOX 4 reached out to Chad Ruback, an attorney who is not involved in the case, to get some outside perspective on the situation. While Ruback confirmed that it's legal to redraw district lines for partisan purposes, he also says it will be an uphill battle for the county officials. "On the other hand, it is not appropriate, it is not legal to redistrict for the purpose of diminishing the rights of certain classes of people like minorities," Ruback said. According to the attorney, the county will have to prove that increasing Republican representation is not the sole purpose behind redistricting. "I believe they could prevail if they showed that Judge O'Hare and his Republican colleagues on the commissioners court were motivated to specifically hurt minority votes," he said. The lawsuit attempts to do just that, citing examples of previous statements made by O'Hare, and his actions in previous government positions. However, Ruback says this may not be enough evidence. "If they have some statement made to a news reporter several years ago that sort of kind of might have suggested there might be redistricting, and it might hurt minority votes, that's probably not going to be enough to carry their burden," said Ruback. The other side O'Hare's office sent a statement to FOX 4 in response to the suit. It says, in part: "The refusal of Democrats to accept settled law will waste Tarrant County taxpayer dollars. The commissioners court voted by a 3-2 majority for more Republican representation, which is perfectly legal under all applicable laws of the United States and the state of Texas." What's next According to Ruback, if more lawsuits are filed on the same issue, they'll likely be consolidated to a single case. More evidence may be presented in the current suit, but Ruback says it remains unclear. He said it could be months before a resolution is made in the case. The Source Information in this article comes from a lawsuit filed in United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas Fort Worth Division and past FOX 4 coverage.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EXCLUSIVE: Tarrant County Judge Pledges Government ‘Good For All Communities' After Redistricting
Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare, who helped successfully pass a redistricting measure giving Republicans an advantage in future elections, told The Dallas Express the effort aimed to ensure a government seeking 'good for all communities.' 'This is for partisan political purposes because I believe Republicans do a better job of governing, of cutting taxes, of keeping people safe,' O'Hare said in an interview with The Dallas Express. 'Just common sense policies and principles and experience.' Tarrant County commissioners redrew district lines by a vote of 3-2 on June 3, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. O'Hare and County Commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez – all Republicans – voted in favor, and County Commissioners Roderick Miles Jr. and Alisa Simmons – both Democrats – voted against. The new map reshapes Simmons' district to lean Republican, giving conservatives an edge in county elections for years. 'I want to make sure – make no bones about it – Tarrant County is governed by Republicans for the rest of my natural life, and this will go a long way towards accomplishing that,' O'Hare said. The redistricting process is 'about partisan politics,' according to O'Hare. He said Republican commissioners are hoping to ensure the county will be 'governed by people that are more conservative in nature, which I think is good for all communities and all people.' 'How many big urban areas of big cities have we seen, where there's crime run amok, and smash and grabs, and failure to prosecute, and businesses leaving left and right, and fires burning,' O'Hare said. 'You don't see those things happening in Republican-led cities and counties. We're going to make sure we don't see it here.' O'Hare said Republican commissioners' vision for Tarrant County is a government that enables its people to 'live, raise a family, worship, start a business, and grow a business' – a place with 'consistency' and a 'county that loves America.' 'There's law and order. There's low crime. When something breaks out, it's dealt with. People know that laws here are going to be followed; people aren't going to pick and choose which laws are prosecuted. People will feel safe,' O'Hare said. 'Taxes will be low; spending will be curtailed. Every dollar will be scrutinized.' According to O'Hare, the government will work to create a 'pro-business environment' that attracts businesses and creates more jobs 'where a rising tide lifts all boats.' 'That's what we're trying to create, or foster, and we see that can fall quick when the wrong people are in charge,' he said. The June 3 redistricting meeting attracted hundreds of residents who spoke on both sides of the issue. Supporters of the effort, including state Rep. Nate Schatzline, lauded redistricting for bolstering conservative governance, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. Critics of the effort said it was an instance of racist 'gerrymandering.' Simmons – who 'flipped the bird' to O'Hare at one point in the meeting — said the proposal was 'racial gerrymandering' and ' intentional discrimination,' as The Dallas Express reported. Many others, including Miles and members of the public, used similar language. 'Even Stevie Wonder can see that these maps are racist,' one commenter said. 'Is there anything Democrats don't try to make a race thing? That's the song they sing nonstop,' O'Hare said. 'I don't think they learned anything from the 2024 election, and I'm quite frankly glad they didn't.' He explained ahead of the vote that district lines were not 'ordained from the creation of the earth.' He said the redistricting process is 'political' – 'I'm not trying to hide from that.' 'They were put in place by people at one point or another; they've been adjusted by people at one point or another,' O'Hare said. 'Now the people who are duly elected by the citizens of Tarrant County are likely going to redraw what is there.' During the meeting, O'Hare ordered deputies to remove several individuals for violating decorum or being disruptive. Ahead of the meeting, he told The Dallas Express he expected to see 'a lot of people' who were 'emotional about it.' 'I'm very passionate about our country; I'm very passionate about our state, our county,' O'Hare said. 'So I understand the passion.' Many speakers at the meeting – including Arlington Mayor Jim Ross and Mansfield Mayor Michael Evans – suggested redistricting could spark litigation due to alleged violations of civil rights and voting law. O'Hare told The Dallas Express that Tarrant County Commissioners are confident the plan is legal. 'We feel we're very, very solid on constitutional grounds and on federal and state law grounds, so I believe we will prevail,' he said. The Dallas Express asked if commissioners have faced pressure about this issue, and O'Hare said it depends on how one defines pressure. 'Pressure is when you're fighting a war on foreign territory. That's pressure. Pressure is when there's a suspect firing at you, and you have very little to hide behind. That's pressure,' he said. 'This is politics.' He said he wishes America's political climate was 'more like the 1980s' – where 'people got along, and everybody was patriotic and loved America' despite their differences. 'We're in a very different time right now, and there's just some very ugly, very mean-spirited people,' O'Hare said. 'It's sad, but it is what it is, and we've seen it on full display here.' According to O'Hare, if the situation were flipped, the measure's opponents would be 'cheering' for it. Several other Democrat-run counties, including Dallas, redrew their district lines after the 2020 federal census to box out Republicans, as The Dallas Express previously reported. At the time, The Dallas Morning News admitted this would 'dilute Republican voting power while solidifying Democratic control' – but said it would 'improve the voting power of Hispanics and keep cities grouped in single districts.' When Tarrant County began planning to redraw districts for Republican control, however, the paper ran several critical pieces against it – one claiming the move was 'bad government.' 'Much of the media is corrupt, and much of the media is dishonest,' O'Hare said. 'I have not talked to a single person who ever said, 'Hey, I read this story in The Dallas Morning News.' I guess I'm not sure I could come up with another publication that I care less about what they say or think.'
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tarrant County Redraws District Lines, Boosting Republican Advantage
Tarrant County Commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday to adopt a new district map, giving Republicans an advantage on the county commissioners court. 'I don't apologize for being a Republican; I don't apologize for conservative values,' said Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare in the June 3 commissioners' meeting, attended by The Dallas Express. 'I never ever, on anything I vote on, think I'm doing this for the Republicans. I think the things that I stand for and ask for are good for everyone.' After hours of public comment and deliberation, the Tarrant County Commissioners passed a redistricting measure on June 3. O'Hare and County Commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez voted in favor, and County Commissioners Roderick Miles Jr. and Alisa Simmons voted against. The commissioners adopted 'map 7' out of multiple possible options. District 1 – which previously ran from Tarrant County's southwest corner to north of Arlington – now reaches from south-central Tarrant County to north of Arlington, then across the county's southeast border. The map also reshapes District 2 – which previously contained Arlington and Mansfield – to reach from Arlington, across the south side of the county, and up to Benbrook. The county commissioners met on June 3 at 10 a.m. to consider the redistricting proposal. So many residents showed up that they filled the room, and deputies had to keep crowds – including several local journalists – waiting in the hall outside until there was enough space. Racist Maps Or Good Government? Public comment started close to 11 a.m. and lasted until after 2:15 p.m. Many residents opposed the redistricting plan, claiming it was 'racist' and 'gerrymandering.' 'Even Stevie Wonder can see that these maps are racist,' said Ebony Turner, who unsuccessfully ran for the Texas state House in 2024. Turner called the maps 'gerrymandering' and suggested they could violate the Voting Rights Act and 14th Amendment. Another young lady approached the microphone to call the commissioners supporting redistricting 'sore Confederate losers with no shame.' 'When you disenfranchise voters by gerrymandering, you undermine our democracy,' said League of Women Voters Tarrant County President Janet Mattern at the meeting. 'When the people have no say in creating these maps, then you cannot say that they are created in the interests of the people.' O'Hare ordered deputies to remove several attendees who violated decorum or spoke over their time, including a young woman wearing a keffiyeh – the black and white garment associated with Palestine and the terror group Hamas. Many others, however, supported the redistricting measure as a way to ensure conservative governance. A man who identified himself as Joe Jordan said he supported 'whatever turns out to be the most conservative' map. Another said the redistricting plan 'will ensure that our elected officials are truly accountable to the people' and will help compensate for the county's growth as the population recently surpassed 2.2 million. True Texas Project President Fran Rhodes supported redistricting as 'important' and suggested Map 7. A statement on behalf of State Rep. Nate Schatzline was delivered by his district director: 'It is only right that our county representation reflects that conservative majority. We must ensure our voices are accurately represented,' Schatzline's statement read. 'We urge the commissioners to continue supporting this fair and transparent redistricting effort and encourage all conservatives to stay engaged and help secure strong, accurate representation for our future.' Debating The Merits Miles and Simmons were the measure's most vocal opponents on the commission. Miles called for further deliberation, adding that other commissioners 'could have called' to speak with him about the proposed maps. 'It appears that race discrimination against blacks, Hispanics, and other racial minorities in Tarrant County is a substantial factor in the decision to redistrict mid-decade and to adopt this map,' Miles said. Simmons explained that the proposed maps would 'put the majority of the communities of color in one precinct' and remove the 'key economic engines.' 'It's racial gerrymandering. It's intentional discrimination,' Simmons said. County commissioners approved an agreement in April to consult with the conservative law firm Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) on redistricting. PILF lawyers were in the building at the time of the meeting but had planned to be in a back room for the commissioners' consultation. Simmons demanded the PILF lawyers come before the public meeting for questioning. She apparently attempted to filibuster the meeting until O'Hare called a recess. 'They're going to bring their butts out here, and stand at that podium, and answer my questions,' she said. 'I'm going to continue speaking until they make their way out here.' Arlington Mayor Jim Ross and Mansfield Mayor Michael Evans expressed concerns over the plan, suggesting future legal challenges. Ross said he was concerned the plan could violate 'state and federal law.' Evans said he agreed with commissioners that redistricting is important 'but not by any means necessary.' 'My concern is with ensuring that the current county process is compliant with the law,' Evans said. 'The current proposal maps could be subject to challenges at both the state and federal level.' Fort Worth passed a resolution last month condemning Tarrant County's redistricting efforts, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. Ten mayors—including Ross, Evans, and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker—also signed a letter opposing the redistricting plan on May 10. Two of the mayors later withdrew their signatures after conducting further research, and several others have continued to support the redistricting plan. Krause thanked those mayors for the 'courageous move,' adding that the letter operated on 'flawed information.' He also explained the legal basis for the redistricting proposal in the state election code. 'It's a simple read. It's a simple exception that they should have been able to find really clearly,' Krause said. 'So to me, when you get something that obvious, that clear, wrong – that puts into doubt all their other analysis.' Ramirez said he did his 'due diligence' independently and ran the plan through multiple lawyers. He thanked anyone with 'legitimate concern' about the legal issues for voicing their objections. 'I wanted to make sure that what we were doing was absolutely legally justified,' Ramirez said. 'I hoped that we could have had some ideas presented from our other colleagues up here, but that was not the case. So we are where we are.' In a previous article for The Dallas Express, Ramirez explained that Democrats used redistricting to gain an advantage in Dallas and Harris counties, but it can help maintain Republican governance in Tarrant County. Changing Tune After the federal census of 2020, Dallas conducted redistricting, but Tarrant County refrained from the process. When Dallas County redrew its district lines to give Democrats an advantage in 2021, The Dallas Morning News admitted this would 'dilute Republican voting power while solidifying Democratic control' – but said it would 'improve the voting power of Hispanics and keep cities grouped in single districts.' The sole Republican county commissioner, J.J. Koch, was then ousted in the next election. However, when Tarrant County planned redistricting for a Republican advantage, The Dallas Morning News published several articles criticizing the plan. The paper's editorial staff wrote an article titled 'Tarrant County redistricting proposal is bad government,' which claimed, 'hyperpartisan gerrymandering weakens the diversity of viewpoints among our elected leaders, eroding the resilience of our democracy.' Chris Putnam, CEO of The Dallas Express, explained on X that this is a stark change from The Dallas Morning News' approach to Dallas' redistricting plan in 2021: 'The only difference of course is that one is a D controlled commissioner's court and the other is R controlled,' Putnam wrote. 'And the Dallas Morning News is literally the daily newsletter for the woke, far-left.'
