O'Hare Concedes Tarrant County Race to Simmons
Simmons says O'Hare conceded after he cut 92 polling places; Allred and Haynes reclaim Dallas congressional seats.
By Vikram Harrison ·
Alisa Simmons told supporters Tuesday night that incumbent Tim O'Hare called her around 7:30 p.m. to concede the Tarrant County Commissioner race for Precinct 2. Without official final results, Simmons said it appears Tarrant County has shifted to Democratic control. The commissioners court sets tax rates, manages roads and bridges, and oversees elections.
O'Hare reduced the number of polling locations in Tarrant County by 92 for the 2026 midterm election. He also ordered speakers he considered disruptive to be removed from commissioner court meetings, including a minister who spoke for eight seconds longer than allowed. O'Hare previously served on the Farmers Branch city council and as mayor, and he led the Tarrant County Republican Party before winning the county commissioner seat in 2022.
Simmons first ran for a House seat in 2020 and lost to Tony Tinderholt. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram endorsed her in that race. She took her current county seat in 2022. On Tuesday, her supporters gathered at Troy's inside Texas Live! as election results arrived.
Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred defeated Republican Patrick Gillespie to reclaim the 33rd Congressional District. The newly redrawn district lies entirely within Dallas County. Allred represented the neighboring 32nd District from 2019 to 2025 before losing his 2024 U.S. Senate race to Ted Cruz. On social media, Allred wrote, "Thank you, North Texas. I'm honored to earn your trust and ready to get back to work fighting for working families."
The Rev. Frederick Douglas Haynes III won the race for the 30th Congressional District. A local pastor and civil rights advocate, Haynes succeeds Jasmine Crockett, who left the seat to run for the Senate against James Talarico. Venton Jones, a Democrat who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, reportedly won another term for District 100. That district includes portions of South Dallas, West Dallas, East Dallas, Victory Park, and Oak Cliff.
Simmons and O'Hare both campaigned on their records of county leadership during the fall. The county's shift in control will affect how the commissioners court manages local infrastructure and election administration in the coming term.
