The Tarrant County Republican Party on Monday called on members of its own party to vote against the county’s top elected official on the issue of polling places on college campuses.
County Republican Party Chairman Bo French released a party resolution on X expressing disapproval of Republican County Commissioners Manny Ramirez and Gary Fickes, who voted Thursday to approve a list of early voting locations that included eight college campuses.
County Judge Tim O’Hare voted against the motion, filed by Ramirez, because he argued that polling places on college campuses unfairly favor a small segment of the eligible population. His opponents called the measure voter suppression.
Ramirez and Fickes “voted with Democrats on a critical election outcome that undermines the Republicans’ ability to win the general election in Tarrant County,” the resolution said.
The resolution specifically criticizes Ramirez for signaling “a lack of respect for the interests of the party and its voters,” and urges him and Fickes to “reconsider their policy decisions to better reflect the values and expectations of the Republican electorate.”
O’Hare has openly said that low voter turnout benefits conservatives in Tarrant County.
Ramirez and Fickes were not available for comment following Tuesday’s Commissioners Court hearing.
French fired the first shot Thursday after the locations were approved, accusing Ramirez and Fickes of “siding with the leftist mob.”
In the days that followed, the Tarrant County Patriots PAC sent out text messages urging Republican voters to call Ramirez and ask “why he wants anti-Trump, anti-Cruz Democrats to win in November.”
Ramirez responded in a letter to French over the weekend, accusing the party chairman of spreading misinformation about him and the other Republicans on Commissioners Court.
“Furthermore, you have used party resources and shadow PACs to attack me, all over a personal disagreement on a single issue,” Ramirez said in the letter.
In an effort to “set the record straight,” Ramirez wrote that he filed his motion and vote on the recommendation of County Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig and that he proposed adding more early voting polling places at nursing homes.
When O’Hare asked him during the Sept. 4 hearing how many early voting locations he recommended for the region, Ludwig replied that he wanted between 60 and 70.
Ramirez received support from local elected officials.
Texas Rep. Charlie Geren, a Republican from Fort Worth, posted Ramirez’s letter to French on X on Saturday, thanking the commissioner for “standing up for conservative principles and keeping polling places on college campuses. Republicans know how to earn votes.”
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker posted Ramirez’s letter on Tuesday, stating that Ramirez should not be vilified because of his vote.
“Democracy is meant to be an arena for ideas,” she said. “If we try to win at the expense of voter turnout, we’ve all lost.”
Ramirez “recognizes that it is the communication of ideas and policies and the ability to bring people together that wins elections, not partisan politics,” she continued. “We can run for office under the banner of one party, but once you are elected, you take an oath to serve everyone.”
