Mary Louise Nicholson, the Republican incumbent Tarrant County clerk, faces Democrat Lydia Bean in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election, according to the Texas secretary of state’s certified ballot.

Experience

Nicholson’s campaign biography says she was sworn in as county clerk on Jan. 1, 2011, after eight years on the Tarrant County Sheriff’s command staff. It says she grew up in Tarrant County and graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Arlington.

The county’s official website says Nicholson was elected to her fourth term in 2022.

What the clerk does

The county clerk maintains records for county civil, misdemeanor and probate courts. The office also handles real estate records, marriage licenses, birth and death records and other public filings. These duties are separate from those of the district clerk.

Stated priorities

On her campaign issues page, Nicholson emphasizes cost-effective service, using technology to improve records access and protecting property owners against fraudulent filings. The county’s website offers a free Property Fraud Alert service.

Those positions come from Nicholson’s campaign material; no submitted Surround Sound Media questionnaire response was available for this profile.

Sources: Certified ballot; Tarrant County clerk; campaign biography; campaign priorities.

Responses are based on public data and answers to a Surround Sound Media questionnaire if they were provided.