TARRANT COUNTY DEMOCRATS RIDE A WAVE: Record Setting Slate for March 2026 Primary

(FORT WORTH, Texas, December 8, 2025) — As the filing period closed today at 6 p.m., the Tarrant County Democratic Party announced a near-record number of Democratic candidates for the 2026 Primary Election, which will be held on March 3.

With more candidates than many recent election cycles, which spans county courts, State House and Senate seats and key administrative positions, the TCDP slate reflects among the broadest and most diverse lineups the party has assembled. The field includes young first-time office seekers and experienced community leaders, former educators, small business owners, military veterans, public interest lawyers and neighborhood advocates. It represents a mix of ages, racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender identities and life experiences that mirror the communities of Tarrant County.

“This is democracy in action,” said Dr. Allison Campolo, Chair of the Tarrant County Democratic Party. “Every one of our candidates stepped forward because they believe in fairness, equal opportunity and the idea that voters deserve real choices. I especially want to thank the volunteers and grassroots leaders who spent months recruiting, encouraging and uplifting potential candidates. Their work made this historic slate possible, including our exceptional judicial roster that reflects real depth, experience and commitment to justice.”

TCDP Executive Director Reyne Telles added, “The Party has spent significant time building momentum and clearing pathways for community-minded candidates. Now our focus shifts to supporting them through the primaries and strengthening the countywide infrastructure needed for November.”

Although 2020 produced an unusually large field of Democratic candidates because of the national political climate and record setting levels of civic engagement, that year stands as an anomaly. When 2020 is set aside, you would need to look back more than a generation to find a comparable moment. According to party records and historical ballot reviews, the last time Tarrant County Democrats fielded a slate of candidates this large and wide ranging was 1994. The size of this year’s field marks a return to a level of participation and ambition that has not been seen in more than three decades, which underscores the renewed energy among Democratic voters and community leaders throughout the county.

The significance of the 2026 expanded slate is amplified by Tarrant County’s evolving political landscape. For generations, Tarrant was one of the most reliably Republican
urban counties in Texas. In 2020, it voted for a Democratic presidential candidate for the first time since the 1960s. According to multiple statewide analyses, Tarrant remains the largest county in Texas where local government is still held mostly by Republicans, which makes it strategically important for long-term statewide competitiveness.

Recent voter modeling also shows that approximately 46.5 percent of registered Texas voters are categorized as “modeled Democrats,” compared with about 37.8 percent “modeled Republicans.” This shift, combined with population growth in diverse and rapidly changing areas of Tarrant County, suggests that competitive elections in Tarrant could reshape the statewide map in coming years.

A Particularly Strong Judicial Slate

This year’s slate of judicial candidates stands out for its depth of experience and community grounding. Candidates include long-time public defenders, civil attorneys, former prosecutors, legal aid volunteers and attorneys with decades of courtroom and community service. Their combined backgrounds bring a balanced perspective to the Texas justice system and demonstrate a growing desire among legal professionals to serve with fairness, transparency and accountability.

Chairwoman Campolo emphasized that assembling this judicial bench required months of outreach by volunteers, precinct leaders and legal community advocates. “Our volunteers have done extraordinary work to identify strong judicial candidates who reflect the values of justice and integrity,” she said.

Democratic Candidates (2026)

State Senate District 9: TAYLOR REHMET

State Senate District 22: CHRISTIAN MANUEL

State Senate District 22: AMY MARTINEZ-SALAS

State Rep District 90: RAMON ROMERO, JR

State Rep District 91: YISAK WORKU

State Rep District 92: SALMAN BHOJANI

State Rep District 93: ERICKA LOMICK

State Rep District 94: KATIE O’BRIEN DUZAN

State Rep District 95: NICOLE COLLIER

State Rep District 96: EBONY M. TURNER

State Rep District 97: DIANE SYMONS

State Rep District 97: BETH LLEWELLYN MCLAUGHLIN

State Rep District 97: RYAN RAY

State Rep District 98: CATE BRENNAN

State Rep District 98: AARON HENDLEY

State Rep District 99: MICHELLE WINDER

State Rep District 101: CHRIS TURNER

State Rep District 101: JUNIOR EZEONU

County Judge: ALISA SIMMONS

County Judge: MARC VEASEY

County Judge: MILLENNIUM ANTON C. WOODS, JR

District Clerk: NATHAN SMITH

County Clerk: LYDIA BEAN

County Clerk: GREGORIE C. LEWIS

County Commissioner Precinct 2: GABE RIVAS

County Commissioner Precinct 2: JARED WILLIAMS

County Commissioner Precinct 2: AMANDA ARIZOLA

County Commissioner Precinct 4: PERLA BOJORQUEZ

County Commissioner Precinct 4: NYDIA CARDENAS

County Commissioner Precinct 4: CEDRIC KANYINDA

Justice of the Peace Precinct 2: CELINA VASQUEZ

Justice of the Peace Precinct 4: RODNEY LEE

Justice of the Peace Precinct 5: SERGIO L. DE LEON

Justice of the Peace Precinct 7: KENNETH D. SANDERS

Justice of the Peace Precinct 7: SHAWN BOOMER CALLARMAN

Justice of the Peace Precinct 8: LISA WOODARD

District Attorney: TIFFANY BURKS

236th Judicial District Court: KATHERINE “KATE” KIM

297th District Court: FRED HOWEY

371st District Court: MARQUETTA “MARQ” CLAYTON

432nd District Court: COURTNEY MILLER

Criminal District Court #1: CINDY STORMER

Criminal District Court #4: JOHN BRENDER

323rd Judicial District (Juvenile) Court: BRIAN WILLETT

County Criminal Court #5: JULYA “JUJU BILL” BILLHYMER

County Criminal Court #9: LESA PAMPLIN

231st District Court: LYNDSAY NEWELL

324th Judicial District Court: CRYSTAL GAYDEN

325th Judicial District Court: ANDY GRIFFIN

County Chair: ALLISON CAMPOLO

The Tarrant County Democratic Party will host its official 2026 Primary Candidate Forum/ballot position draw in conjunction with its holiday party on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 6-8 p.m. The event will be at Party Headquarters, 685 John B. Sias Memorial Parkway, Fort Worth, TX with a suggested minimum donation of $25 a person.

Help the Precinct Chairs of Tarrant County with a $3 Cup of Joe

The Precinct Chairs in Tarrant County are volunteers that do the ground work for effective change. They knock on doors, make phone calls, and print out educational materials on their own dime. A sustaining $3/month can help off set the costs of being a Precinct Chair. Become a sustaining member today to help push progressive change in Tarrant County.