Tim O'Hare is outraising his opponent for Tarrant County judge 10 to 1. As of July 15, the incumbent Republican had banked more than $700,000 in campaign cash to Democrat Alisa Simmons' roughly $67,000.
The fundraising gap is the starkest in a field spanning the county judge race and two Commissioners Court precinct seats on the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. Collectively, the six candidates raised nearly $600,000 and spent about $462,000 from January through mid-July.
O'Hare raised $315,000 in that span. His campaign pulled in roughly $250,000 in June 2026 alone. He said in a Saturday, July 18 campaign release that the fundraising reflects voter support for his record and that his campaign plans to expand voter contact through mail, digital, and grassroots outreach.
Simmons, a county commissioner who announced her county judge bid in December 2025, raised about a third of O'Hare's total and spent roughly $75,000. Her campaign has approximately $67,000 remaining. Her campaign did not return a request for comment from the Fort Worth Report on Saturday, July 18.
After winning the Democratic primary on Tuesday, March 3, Simmons told the Fort Worth Report the race would be difficult. "This by no means will be an easy task," she said. "I think it will be a battle royale."
Why it matters for NE Tarrant voters
The county judge represents all of Tarrant County, sets the agenda for Commissioners Court, and helps adopt the county budget and tax rate. O'Hare lives in Southlake, is a member of First Baptist Grapevine, and founded the Southlake Families political group in 2020. The county judge race is the Commissioners Court contest most directly affecting Southlake, Colleyville, Grapevine, and Westlake voters.
The November election is the first under a redrawn commissioners court map approved last summer. O'Hare and Republican commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez said they redrew Simmons' Precinct 2 to favor conservative candidates. Simmons told KERA in December 2025 that the redistricting of her district pushed her to run countywide rather than seek re-election.
Who's funding the candidates
O'Hare's largest individual donor was Don Woodard, president of Fort Worth-based investment firm Western Commerce Group, who gave $50,000. Michael Radler, founder and CEO of oil and gas firm Tug Hill, gave $30,000. Cody Campbell and John Sellers, co-CEOs of Double Eagle Energy Holdings, each gave $12,500. Five PACs also contributed, including the Tarrant County Law Enforcement Association and Texas Realtors.
Simmons' top donor was real estate developer Walter Horton, who gave $18,000 through multiple donations in 2026 on top of $56,000 last year. She received about $37,000 in in-kind support from the Texas Organizing Project before the March primary.
Commissioner races
Two other Commissioners Court seats are on the Nov. 3 ballot, and Republicans hold cash advantages in both.
In Precinct 4 (northwest Tarrant, covering north Fort Worth, White Settlement, and Saginaw), incumbent Republican Manny Ramirez raised about twice as much as Democrat Nydia Cárdenas, who brought in roughly $42,000 primarily from small donors. Cárdenas has about $14,000 remaining, a fraction of Ramirez's war chest. Ramirez's largest contribution was $10,000 from Gary Blake, CEO of Creative Solutions in Healthcare.
In Precinct 2 (southeast and southwest Tarrant), Republican Tony Tinderholt, who served 12 years in the Texas House, started with $145,000 carried over from past campaigns and raised about $7,000 in cash this year. Democrat Jared Williams, a former Fort Worth City Council member, raised roughly $35,000. Williams' donors include Jeff Postell, president of Post L Group ($5,000), and For The Children, a PAC funded in part by Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings ($2,500).
Early voting for the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 general election begins in mid-October. Tarrant County residents can verify their registration through the county elections office.
