Nathan Smith leads Tarrant County district clerk race

Nathan Smith, a Democrat, leads the Tarrant County District Clerk race with 324,055 votes, or 57.4%, according to unofficial results from Tarrant County Elections. Republican incumbent Tom Wilder trails with 240,179 votes, or 42.6%, a margin of 83,876 votes. The count is not complete, with zero of 864 reporting units having reported as of 7:06 p.m. Nov. 3.

If the lead holds, it would end Wilder's three-decade tenure in the office. Wilder, a Republican, has served as district clerk since 1994, according to BallotReady records.

What was at stake

The district clerk is the official recorder and custodian of all district court records in Tarrant County, according to Texas County Progress. The office handles felony criminal, family, juvenile and civil cases. Staff collect filing fees, manage funds held in litigation and money awarded to minors, and run the jury selection process.

Smith's campaign website said the office manages more than 121,000 court proceedings each year and holds $23 million in trust for children and families, according to his Ballotpedia page.

The key issues:

• Smith, on his campaign website, said he would audit the fee schedule for court records and expand public access to court documents.
• Smith said he would assign District Clerk staff to Central Magistration around the clock, a function he said Wilder had not staffed since Tarrant County centralized magistration hearings in 2018.
• Smith said he would commission an independent assessment of the office's technology and present findings to commissioners and the public.

A little history

Wilder has held the district clerk post since 1994, making this one of the longest-tenured county offices in Tarrant County. He ran unopposed in the 2026 Republican primary, collecting 113,707 votes, according to Wikipedia's 2026 Tarrant County elections page. Smith ran unopposed in the Democratic primary with 153,427 votes.

Smith is a U.S. Army veteran who achieved the rank of captain and received the Bronze Star Medal, according to his campaign website. He served as director of policy and outreach for Tarrant County from 2023 to 2024, according to BallotReady.

What's next

These results remain unofficial until the Tarrant County Commissioners Court completes the canvass. The Texas Tribune reported that the deadline for election officials to receive domestic mail-in ballots is Nov. 4, and overseas mail-in ballots may arrive through Nov. 9. The deadline for officials to review provisional ballots is Nov. 13. Local races must be canvassed by Nov. 17.

Under Texas law, a losing candidate may request a recount only if the margin is 10% or less of total votes cast, the Texas Tribune reported. The candidate requesting the recount must pay for it.

Election results: Tarrant County District Clerk (Texas General Election, 2026-11-03)

Source: Tarrant County Elections. Results current as of Nov. 3, 2026, 7:06 p.m. CST. Reporting: 0 of 864. Unofficial results; the count is not complete.