Dallas County Commissioner Andy Sommerman (District 2) is under fire for remarks linking three mosque voting locations to Democratic victories. In a video that surfaced on social media, Sommerman said he helped open polling sites at three mosques and claimed that 1,689 first‑time voters at those sites voted overwhelmingly for Democrats, helping elect a local Democratic judge.
Sommerman’s statements
Sommerman told the camera, “Another place that I have opened up is three mosques… What difference does that make?” He went on to say the new voters were a “huge turnaround” and that “almost every one of these new voters voted Democrat, we know that.” He added that those voters were “the difference in making sure that Tina Clinton was elected.”
Verification of the claim
The Dallas Express reviewed the video, which was originally posted in 2025 by Syed Bilal Gillani and later shared by Republican challenger Barry Wernick. Official county location reports show that 12,040 ballots were cast at the three centers during early voting and Election Day in November 2024. In the Fifth Court of Appeals Place 9 race, Democratic candidate Tina Clinton received 7,322 votes at the three centers, while Republican Matthew Kolodoski received 3,642.
Clinton won the race district‑wide by 1,596 votes. While the aggregate totals show Clinton received more votes at the mosque sites, the data do not identify how many were first‑time voters, nor do they prove that the locations determined the outcome. State guidance also notes that ballots cast at a mosque do not reveal a voter’s religious affiliation.
Mosque locations and community outreach
The three sites are the Islamic Association of North Texas in Richardson, Makkah Masjid IDEA in Garland, and Madinah Masjid of Carrollton. Both the Islamic Association of North Texas and Madinah Masjid publicly promoted their status as polling locations, encouraging residents to vote. Their posts emphasized civic participation without endorsing any candidate or party.
Political reaction
Republican candidate Barry Wernick condemned Sommerman’s comments in a campaign release, accusing the commissioner of using polling sites as “political weapons” and calling the practice a “disgraceful abuse of official power.” Wernick also cited a separate May 2025 event at the Islamic Association of North Texas that featured speakers discussing a shift from Marxist ideas to Islam, arguing that the venue hosted speakers who “openly reject American and Texas values.”
Wernick called on the Dallas County Elections Department to discontinue using the three mosque locations as vote centers, asserting that elections must remain “fair and impartial.”
Legal framework
Texas Election Code permits counties to use public buildings as polling places when practicable and allows private facilities, including religious buildings, when suitable public sites are unavailable. The law does not categorically forbid religious facilities from serving as polling locations.
A 2024 county newsletter noted that elections staff contacted more than 100 facilities while seeking additional vote centers and listed Madinah Masjid among six new locations, but it did not explain why the Islamic Association of North Texas or Makkah Masjid were selected.
Upcoming election
Wernick is challenging Sommerman for the District 2 seat in the November 3 election. Neither Sommerman nor the Dallas County Elections Department responded to requests for comment before publication.
Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.
