As the November midterm elections draw near, Republican candidates for Tarrant County offices are pulling ahead of their Democratic rivals in fundraising. County Judge Tim O’Hare leads the pack with over $836,000 in cash on hand as of Sept. 24, after raising roughly $415,000 and spending about $290,000 during the July‑September reporting window.
Fundraising gaps across the county races
Incumbent Republicans out‑raised and out‑spent Democrats in the contests for county judge, county commissioner and district attorney. The only countywide races where Democrats held a cash advantage were the district clerk and county clerk contests.
Precinct 2 County Commissioner challenger Alisa Simmons, a Democrat, reported a war chest of about $247,000. She raised roughly $286,000 and spent nearly $75,000 on consulting, phone‑banking and signage. Both O’Hare and Simmons saw an uptick in contributions over the last two months; O’Hare raised about $314,000 in the first half of the year, while Simmons raised about $111,000.
Major donors and PAC support
O’Hare’s largest single donation, $100,000, came from Texans United for a Conservative Majority, a political action committee headed by West Texas oil investors Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks. Additional PAC contributions included $10,000 from the National Cutting Horse Association’s Texas Events PAC, $1,500 from the Frederick Douglass Republicans of Tarrant County, and $750 from Responsible Government.
Simmons received $4,000 from the Tarrant County Democratic Women’s Club and $5,000 from the Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund, a PAC created in 2024 to build campaign infrastructure for Texas Democrats. Most of Simmons’ donors gave $100 or less, but her biggest contribution was roughly $98,000 from real‑estate developer Walter Horton, paid in three installments.
Local elected officials chip in
O’Hare also benefited from contributions by several Tarrant County mayors: Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and husband David Parker gave $1,000; North Richland Hills Mayor Jack McCarty contributed $5,000; Keller Mayor Ross McMullin gave $500; and Southlake Mayor Shawn McCaskill added $250. Mansfield Mayor Michael Evans donated $1,000 to Simmons’ campaign.
Other Republican candidates received cash from fellow office‑seekers and from Mayes Middleton, the Republican nominee for Texas attorney general, who gave more than $5,000.
Commissioner and district attorney races
Incumbent Commissioner Manny Ramirez raised over $180,000, while his challenger Nydia Cárdenas raised about $71,000. Ramirez reported spending roughly $96,000, more than three times the amount Cárdenas spent.
In the district attorney race, O’Hare’s fundraising advantage mirrors his strong voter‑base support, reinforcing the Republican hold on the county’s top law‑enforcement post.
Down‑ballot contests
For the open Precinct 2 seat, Democrat Jared Williams raised about $12,000 and spent $5,000. Republican former state legislator Tony Tinderholt raised nearly $7,000 but spent almost $26,000, maintaining a $65,000 war chest carried over from prior campaigns. Williams holds about $6,000 in cash and $18,000 in outstanding loans.
The financial picture underscores the continued strength of the Republican fundraising network in Tarrant County, a factor that could shape voter outreach and advertising as the midterm ballot approaches.
Original reporting: Fort Worth Report — read the source article.
