Trump-endorsed Republicans win in Tarrant County races

Republicans won decisive victories in two high-profile races Tuesday in Tarrant County, fending off an effort by Democrats to nudge the Republican-dominated county blue.

Both parties closely watched results in Tarrant County — which remains Texas’ last urban county dominated by Republicans — as a bellwether for state politics.

In the county judge race, far-right candidate Tim O’Hare beat Democrat Deborah Peoples, according to unofficial voting results.

O’Hare, a Southlake attorney, has said his top priority as county judge will be to keep Tarrant County red. Meanwhile, Peoples, a retired AT&T executive, had sought to recruit business friendly and moderate Republicans to her side.

O’Hare’s victory in the Republican primary earlier this year over longtime Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price caused a fissure in the party that Democrats hoped would give them an opening.

Recent Democratic wins in Tarrant County, by Beto O’Rourke in the 2018 Senate race and President Joe Biden in 2020, had signaled the county could be turning purple.

On Tuesday, however, Tarrant narrowly voted for Republican Greg Abbott for governor over O’Rourke.

In the county judge race, both Price and outgoing County Judge Glen Whitley, a longtime Republican who did not run for reelection, declined to endorse O’Hare, calling his primary campaign misleading and disingenuous.

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, who has said she could not run in a Republican primary and look at herself in the mirror, also did not endorse him.

O’Hare did pick up endorsements from former President Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz.

In the district attorney race, Phil Sorrells, a county misdemeanor judge endorsed by Trump, won against Tiffany Burks, a longtime prosecutor.

He will replace Sharen Wilson, who did not run for reelection.