The highly contentious Republican contest for Tarrant County Judge is drawing the most attention in the March 1 primary election but there are several other noteworthy contests that will determine local matchups for the general election in November.
Early voting began Feb. 14 and continues through Feb. 25 for the Republican and Democratic primaries.
State Rep. Matt Krause’s decision not to seek re-election to State House District 93 left an opening that has created a contest among Republicans Laura Hill, a business owner and former mayor of Southlake; Fort Worth city council member Cary Moon, a business owner; and Nate Schatzline, a former pastor and political activist who has worked on multiple campaigns, including U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne’s 2020 run for Congress.
Small business owner KC Chowdhury is running for the seat in the Democratic primary.
Under district lines redrawn by the Texas Legislature in 2021, District 93 encompasses parts of Fort Worth, Saginaw, Keller, Haslet and Blue Mound.
Meanwhile, Krause stepped aside to run for Texas Attorney General but then dropped out of that competitive Republican race to run for Tarrant County district attorney, the position being vacated by Republican Sharen Wilson. A constitutional law attorney, Krause had served in the Texas House since 2013.
Also running for the seat is Phil Sorrells, who has served as judge of Tarrant County Criminal Court No. 10 for 25 years. Prior to being elected judge, Sorrells was an assistant district attorney who prosecuted felony criminal cases.
Mollee Westfall, judge of the 371st Criminal District Court in Tarrant County, is the third Republican candidate in the district attorney race. She was also an assistant district attorney, prosecuting cases as part of the Crimes Against Children Unit.
Democratic candidates vying to replace Wilson are Lawrence Meyers, a former judge on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and an attorney in private practice in Fort Worth. Tiffany Burks is the deputy chief of the criminal division in the Tarrant County district attorney’s office. Albert John Roberts has worked in the district attorney’s office in both Dallas and Tarrant counties. Roberts ran unsuccessfully against Wilson in 2018.
Incumbent State Rep. Stephanie Klick faces four Republican challengers in a bid for re-election to the District 91 seat in the North Richland Hills, Watauga and Haltom City area. Klick, a nurse, was first elected to the seat in 2012.
Her challengers are Benjamin Damico, a veteran, registered nurse and former businessman; David Lowe, a military veteran and stay-at-home father; Anthony Reed, a former Haltom City councilman and political strategist and aide; and David M. Silvey, who has worked with the Texas Rangers Baseball Club for the past six years.
In the State House District 92 race, the Republican incumbent declined to seek a second term after boundaries for the district seat formerly held by conservative firebrand Jonathan Stickland shifted to lean Democratic when the Mid-Cities area district was reconfigured. Realtor Joe F. Livingston is the only Republican in the race.
Democrats in the race are Tracy Scott, a businesswoman, founder of the Black Women’s PAC and community activist; Salman Bhojani, an attorney, business owner and former member of the Euless City Council; and Dinesh Sharma, a software architect and community organizer.
Along with County Judge Glen Whitley, County Commissioners Devon Allen and J.D. Johnson are retiring from the commissioners court at the end of their current terms.
Competing for the Johnson’s Precinct 4 seat in northwest Tarrant County are Republicans Joe D. “Jody” Johnson, the commissioner’s son and a retired Fort Worth Police officer who served in the SWAT unit and the FWPD Mounted Patrol; Manny Ramirez, a former Fort Worth police officer and president of the Fort Worth Police Officers Association; and Larry Dale Carpenter Jr., an entrepreneur and grandson of former Tarrant County Sheriff Don Carpenter.
Businessman Cedric Kanyinda is the only Democrat running for the seat.
Allen, a Democrat, won the County Commissioner Precinct 2 seat in 2018, defeating Republican incumbent Andy Nguyen, who is the only Republican running for the seat in southeast Tarrant County, which includes a large swath of Arlington. A businessman and community volunteer, Nguyen served two terms on the commissioners’ court and then served as district director and deputy chief of staff to the late District 6 U.S. Rep. Ron Wright.
Democrats competing to replace Allen are Ruby Faye Woolridge, an Arlington City Council member and retired Fort Worth ISD teacher and high school counselor; and Alissa Simmons, a small business owner and president of the Arlington NAACP.