Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, a lifelong Republican, said she planned to vote for two Democrats running for statewide office in this year's midterm elections. In the race for Tarrant County judge, she said she backs Tim O'Hare, a conservative who oversees the Tarrant County Commissioners Court. Parker told NBC 5 and the Dallas Morning News that she believes many other voters are splitting their tickets the same way.
According to the report, Democrats hope to win over traditional Republican voters who are turned off by some GOP candidates. It named Ken Paxton, who faces accusations of corruption and infidelity, and Bo French, the Railroad Commission nominee, whom the report describes as having a history of racist social media posts. Republicans, the report said, are working to keep moderate voters who may be unenthusiastic about some party candidates from defecting, even as they face a difficult national environment.
The report said Tarrant County, the state's largest GOP county, has many moderate Republican voters, which could make it a key source of swing votes in the election.