Tarrant County continues to remain predominantly Republican on a local, state and national level.
Bill Waybourn will serve as Tarrant County sheriff for a third term, receiving 53.78% of the vote as of 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 5.
The Tarrant County Sheriff is responsible for managing the county jails and staying in communication with other law enforcement.
Waybourn has served as sheriff since 2017 but has received backlash regarding the safety of inmates in the county jail. At least 65 inmates have died from natural causes, drug overdoses and guard violence during Waybourn’s time as sheriff, according to KERA news.
Democratic candidate Patrick Moses proposed to review the current policies and reduce the number of deaths in the county jail.
A look at the campaign finance reports filed by the candidates showed a steep difference in the amount of funding for each candidate. Waybourn far exceeded Moses in terms of monetary support.
State Senator Tan Parker supports Waybourn continuing to serve as sheriff.
“I believe that law enforcement is critical for the future of our state and nation,” Parker said at the Republican watch party at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine. “Having strong, conservative sheriffs keeps Texas safer, period, end of story. And so, I couldn’t be more excited about that.”
Moses’ platform garnered support from citizens upset by the increased number of deaths in county jails, including the fundraising chair for the Tarrant County Democratic Party, Jake Davis.
“Nobody should die on the state’s watch, and we in America have a right to a speedy and expeditious trial, and unfortunately, under the GOP watch, that hasn’t been happening,” Davis said. “So, these are some things that Sheriff Patrick Moses will be able to end … one jail death is too many, and we’re pushing 50, if not more,”
Waybourn did release a federal government report evaluating the care offered in the jail. The report found the care to be adequate but in need of a few updates. He plans to focus on issues of the border, DWI enforcement, veteran rehabilitation and child abuse.
The race for county commissioner in Precinct 3 is in favor of Republican candidate Matt Krause, who is in the lead with 63.86% of the vote.
Democratic candidate Roderick Miles Jr. is the lead for county commissioner of Precinct 1 with 56.85% of the vote.
Election Day in Tarrant County brought a mix of opinions to the table. Local polling sites were crowded with a wide variety of voters.
Judge Tim O’Hare is confident the commissioner’s race will be a win for Republicans.
“The Republican [race] feels very good,” O’Hare said. “He’s in an area that’s strong Republican, and his race I fully expect him to win by high, significant double digits.”
The question of post-election security is a concern shared by many members of the Tarrant County community.
Maryam Benall is a young voter who can see escalation happening after the election.
“A lot of people’s opinions have been driven by anger, by hate,” Benall said. “There’s a big divide. … There’s a lot of voter intimidation recently in this these past couple of days, where wives are afraid to disclose who they voted for, stuff like that. So I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s any riots or any violence or anything at this point.”
Alex Hoben, Ashleigh Petrie, Cheyenne Shawn, and Lauren Harper Contributed to this story.
