June 2, 2025 Story by: Publisher
Tarrant County Commissioners are poised to vote Tuesday, June 3 on a redistricting proposal that has sparked accusations of racial and partisan gerrymandering.
The proposed maps would significantly alter the boundaries of Precincts 1 and 2, both currently represented by Democrats. Critics argue that the changes would dilute minority voting power by concentrating voters of color into Precinct 1, thereby making Precinct 2 more favorable to Republican candidates.
Commissioner Matt Krause, a Republican, openly stated his intention to shift the court’s composition from a 3-2 Republican majority to a 4-1 advantage, asserting, “My entire goal… is to allow Tarrant County to go from three Republicans, two Democrats on the commissioners court, to four Republicans, one Democrat.”
County Judge Tim O’Hare, who initiated the redistricting process, has been candid about the political motivations behind the plan. In a recent interview, he declared, “It’s 100% about partisan politics,” emphasizing his campaign promise to secure a stronger Republican presence on the court.
The redistricting effort has faced opposition from several local leaders. Ten mayors, including those from Fort Worth and Arlington, signed a letter urging commissioners to delay the vote, citing concerns over potential Voting Rights Act violations and the use of outdated 2020 Census data.
However, two mayors later withdrew their support for the letter, and four others from northeastern Tarrant County expressed backing for the redistricting, highlighting the county’s conservative values and growth.
Democratic U.S. Congressman Marc Veasey of Fort Worth said the maps violate the Voting Rights Act, which bans discrimination in mapmaking.
“You look precisely at this map, you will see that it was meant to dilute Black voting power and brown voting power in Tarrant County. Period. End of story,” he said at a press conference on May 27.
Ten Tarrant County mayors – including those of Fort Worth, Arlington, Mansfield and Grand Prairie – have formally urged the commissioners to delay the vote, warning that the proposal likely violates the U.S. Voting Rights Act.
Voting rights and legal context
The controversy arrives amid a long history of voting-rights battles in Texas. As one Texas Tribune analysis noted, “since the enactment of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, Texas has not made it through a single decade without a federal court admonishing it for violating federal protections for voters of color”.
Since the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, Texas and other states no longer must obtain Justice Department approval before enacting new maps. That means if Tarrant County’s plan is approved on June 3, it could take effect immediately – even as lawsuits play out in court. Local officials are already warning of legal challenges under the Voting Rights Act. A letter from the ten mayors explicitly warned that the new lines “may violate non-discrimination standards under the U.S. Voting Rights Act and could be vulnerable to legal challenges”.
As the commissioners prepare to cast their votes, the outcome could reshape the political landscape of Tarrant County, potentially inviting legal challenges and further debate over the fairness and legality of the redistricting process.
Source: CBS News / Fort Worth Report / Kera News
