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Is Tarrant County turning purple? Political expert weighs in.
Despite having a large city, Tarrant County historically votes red. But data from recent national elections suggests something else.
FORT WORTH, Texas - Results from Tarrant County on Election Day could serve as an indicator of how much the county’s voter demographics are changing.
In recent elections, voters have chosen Republicans in local elections, but the 2020 presidential election showed a slight shift.
Tarrant County is far from a ‘blue’ county. But in recent years in certain elections, it’s not out of the question to refer to Tarrant County as ‘purple.’
Where to vote in Tarrant County on Election Day
Tarrant County registered voters on Election Day can vote at any polling location in the county from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. See where you can vote here.
Despite having a large city, Tarrant County historically votes red. But data from recent national elections suggests something else.
In 2016, Donald Trump earned nearly 52% of votes in Tarrant County compared to Hillary Clinton’s 43%.
However, in 2020, Tarrant County voters flipped. Trump narrowly lost to Joe Biden by fewer than 2,000 votes.
"In 2016, Republicans carried the county. In 2020, Democrats did," said SMU Political Science Professor Cal Jillson. "Texas is still a red state, but its major urban areas have been trending blue now for 20 years."
Jillson believes it’s anybody’s guess who will win Tuesday’s presidential election.
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Tarrant County will likely have a minimal effect on the presidency as Texas remains a red state. That being said, Jillson says the way Tarrant County votes in 2024 might indicate trends in coming years.
In the 2018 U.S. Senate election, Senator Ted Cruz defeated Democrat Beto O’Rourke in the Texas Senate race. But in Tarrant County, a majority of its voters chose O’Rourke.
It’s unclear if that trend will hold on Tuesday as Senator Cruz faces Democratic challenger Collin Allred for that same seat. Recent polls show Cruz with a slim lead.
"I think Cruz probably retains that seat somewhere in the low single-digits," Jillson said.
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However, in 2020, Republican incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn easily won Tarrant County by 5% on his path to victory.
Also, four out of six U.S. representatives who won in Tarrant County were Republicans.
The county judge, district attorney, sheriff and Fort Worth’s mayor are all Republican.