Democrat Nydia Cárdenas won the Tarrant County Precinct 4 commissioner seat Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Republican incumbent Manny Ramirez.

Unofficial results show Cárdenas received 89,039 votes, or 51.80%, to Ramirez's 82,839 votes, or 48.20%, the Fort Worth Report reported. Cárdenas declared victory shortly before midnight, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Ramirez conceded at 2:15 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4.

The results remain unofficial. The Tarrant County Elections Administration will confirm the outcomes through a final canvass in the coming days.

Cárdenas's win is part of a Democratic sweep that flipped the Tarrant County Commissioners Court from a 3-2 Republican majority to a 4-1 Democratic majority, the Star-Telegram reported.

As we reported Nov. 4, Democrat Alisa Simmons defeated Republican County Judge Tim O'Hare. Democrat Jared Williams also won the Precinct 2 seat over Republican state Rep. Tony Tinderholt.

Commissioner Matt Krause will be the lone Republican on the court when the new members take office Jan. 1, 2027.

The Precinct 4 seat covers northwest Tarrant County, including Azle, Blue Mound, Fort Worth, Haltom City, Saginaw, Watauga and other communities, according to the Star-Telegram.

Four commissioners sit on the court alongside the county judge as the governing body of the county.

What Cárdenas campaigned on

Cárdenas, 40, is a leadership coach and founder of The Energy Takeback, a coaching practice. She also facilitates the 817 Gather, a Tarrant County progressive community organization, the Fort Worth Report reported.

During her campaign, Cárdenas focused on expanding mental health care access, property tax reform, childcare resources, affordability and jail accountability, the Fort Worth Report reported.

In an October profile by KERA, Cárdenas pointed to more than 80 in-custody deaths at Tarrant County Jail since 2017 and called for full transparency and mental health crisis response.

She also said she wanted to bring back bimonthly Commissioners Court meetings, reform public comment rules and restore polling locations cut ahead of the midterm elections, according to KERA.

At her watch party on election night, Cárdenas said the campaign "from the beginning … was to run it in a way that was very centered on community," the Fort Worth Report reported.

Ramirez's record and response

Ramirez, 38, was elected commissioner in 2022 and was seeking a second term. He was a Fort Worth police officer for more than 15 years and served as president of the Fort Worth Police Officers Association for six years, according to the Fort Worth Report. He has also served as chairman of the board for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department since 2024.

Ramirez focused his reelection bid on public safety, road infrastructure, transportation, affordability and tax relief.

Precinct 4 historically votes Republican. Ramirez won the seat by about 18 percentage points in 2022, the Fort Worth Report reported.

Ramirez said on X that he looks "forward to working with Nydia Cardenas in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition."

Cárdenas will serve as commissioner from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2030, according to the Star-Telegram.