Tarrant County judge won’t rule out hiring an elections chief who questioned 2020 results

Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare did not rule out hiring an elections administrator who questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election, he told reporters Tuesday following an Elections Commission meeting.

“That in and of itself is not an automatic disqualifier,” O’Hare said. “We should ask questions. We should ask questions of our leaders and people.”

O’Hare continued, “If somebody one time said, ‘I don’t trust the authenticity of the election,’ and they said it in December of 2020, does that mean they’re excluded? I would not bring them in under any circumstances? No. I think you look at everything on a case-by-case basis.”

The commission met to unanimously accept election administrator Heider Garcia’s recent resignation and post his position.

Garcia resigned in a letter dated April 16 sent to County Judge Tim O’Hare and county administrator G.K. Maenius. In that letter, Garcia mentioned a meeting he had with O’Hare and their differences on how to run a “quality transparent election.” Garcia also wrote that he would not compromise on values.

“You made it clear in our last meeting that your formula is different, thus, my decision to leave,” Garcia wrote. “I wish you the best; Tarrant County deserves that you find success.”

In regard to the meeting, O’Hare said there was an election judge who said she felt unsafe working the polls and that nothing was done to help her. He also said Garcia had been untruthful when talking about whether a mail sorter for the elections office would save the county money.

“I don’t want to do anything to harm his future employment prospects,” O’Hare said. “I wish him well, and at the end of the day, he chose to leave on his own.”

Garcia did not return a phone call for comment.

O’Hare plans to call more election commission meetings in the future to address the election administrator’s work.

“I will never do anything in any way, shape or form to try to influence the outcome of an election,” O’Hare said. “Never have, never will. But I do believe it’s important that we stay in regular communication.”

O’Hare mentioned that the last time the county hired an elections administrator, it did not get many applications. With the changing environment surrounding elections, O’Hare said he was concerned the county would receive even fewer applications.

When looking for a new elections administrator, O’Hare said he wanted someone who was a good listener and understood their role in administering fair and honest elections, and who works well with others.

Tuesday’s meeting did not go without some comments from members of the public. Most defended Garcia. Some were glad he was heading out the door.

Garcia was not in attendance.

Some of those who came to Tuesday’s meeting to support Garcia carried small, hot pink signs that read, “Grieve our loss of Heider Garcia. He gave Tarrant honest elections. Tarrant County resident Jackee Cox held a fluorescent green sign that read “Grieve our loss of Heider Garcia.”

Nine people spoke at the meeting.

Donavon Pantke, the chair of Tarrant County’s libertarian party, told the commission Garcia was an “absolutely impeccable elections administrator” who worked through difficult circumstances, possessed “ethical integrity” and was transparent.

“It was very warm to my heart to see that things were being done right in Tarrant County when things were not being done right elsewhere in the state and elsewhere,” Pantke said. “So I would just like to say that it saddens me to see that such a man in the current environment, in the nature of politicized elections, is now being pushed out.”

Pantke said he would like to see the county hire a person who was passionate about conducting elections in a fair and nonpartisan manner.

Cox called Garcia “superb” and said it broke her heart he had to resign.

“I frankly don’t think it’s going to be easy to recruit a person of his stature and standing,” Cox said. “Once you to run off one person who was really good, why would a person who wants to build a career doing honest work for the people step up and say, ‘Oh yeah, I want to work for you?’”

A representative with the League of Women Voters of Tarrant County read a statement from the organization’s president, Angela Rainey.

“Despite COVID, threats of violence against his family, repeated audits that found no problems with our elections, and election deniers who nonetheless continue spreading unfounded lies about the election process, fraud and results, Mr. Garcia remained committed,” she said, before calling Garcia a “fierce advocate for democracy.”

The administrator had to have the same qualifications as Garcia and continue his example, she said.

“There is no place for partisanship in elections administration,” she said.

Another county resident, Frances Scharli, applauded the commission for their good work and said she hoped they wouldn’t stop. Scharli said she wanted the commission to find someone impartial, trustworthy and who counts everyone’s vote one time.

O’Hare said at Tuesday’s meeting that the county will post the election administrator’s job description and opening on the county website, then officials will send it out to multiple election oriented websites to find candidates. Assistant elections administrator Troy Harvard will act as the interim elections administrator in Garcia’s absence.

Garcia’s last day with the county is June 23, but rules surrounding county employment make it so his last day in office will likely be earlier.

Résumés will be given to each member of the commission, and the commission will interview anyone any member wants to be interviewed, O’Hare said. Two or three final candidates will come back for second interviews, go through background checks and then the commission will decide who becomes the next county administrator by majority vote.

County commissioners will approve the new administrator’s salary. Garcia was paid $152,000 a year.

“We’re going to work to do it expeditiously, but we’re not going to go so quickly that we don’t get the right candidates,” O’Hare said. “We’re going to do everything we can to find a candidate that everyone can trust and believe in and that can work with the public and work with both parties and work with the libertarians and work with people are apolitical so they’ll know that our elections are fair, secure, honest and of the utmost integrity.”

O’Hare did not have a target date for when the county would have a new elections administrator.