Tarrant County taxpayers will see several candidates with varying experience in state and local government on the upcoming November ballot. While there will be a plethora of candidates and races facing residents, we’ve highlighted several candidates whose records or stated priorities touch directly on issues Texans for Fiscal Responsibility emphasizes: property taxes, government spending, fiscal restraint, and accountability to taxpayers.
Tim O’Hare — Tarrant County Judge
Republican incumbent Tim O’Hare1 is seeking re-election as Tarrant County Judge, a position he has held since 2023. Before becoming county judge, O’Hare served as mayor of Farmers Branch.
His current record centers heavily on property-tax relief and spending restraint. According to the county, O’Hare’s administration implemented Tarrant County’s maximum allowable homestead exemption and reduced the county’s operating budget by more than $70 million. The county has adopted tax rates below the No-New-Revenue Rate for four consecutive years under his leadership.2
Alan Blaylock — Texas House District 93
Alan Blaylock,3 a former Fort Worth City Council member and local businessman, is running for the Texas House in District 93.
Blaylock’s City Council record4 includes votes on Fort Worth’s budgets. He voted for the FY2025 budget, but voted against the FY2026 budget. The latter increased property-tax revenue by $25.7 million, according to the City of Fort Worth.
His campaign5 says he maintained a record of opposing tax increases while on the council and supports permanent property-tax relief in Austin.
Armin Mizani — Texas House District 98
Keller Mayor Armin Mizani6 is running for the Texas House in District 98. He has served on the Keller City Council for nearly a decade, including six years as mayor.
Mizani’s local record7 includes repeated reductions in Keller’s adopted property-tax rate. The city’s FY2025 budget, approved with Mizani’s vote, used a rate 6.69% below the previous year’s rate. The FY2026 budget again lowered the adopted rate.
Mizani lists property-tax reduction a central legislative priority, saying he will advocate for an “all of the above approach” to dealing with the rising burden on taxpayers.8
David Lowe — Texas House District 91
State Rep. David Lowe is seeking re-election in District 91.9 He was first elected in 2024 after defeating incumbent Stephanie Klick in the Republican runoff.
David Lowe currently has a score of 98 on TFR’s Fiscal Responsibility Index,10 reflecting a strong record on the issues that matter most to taxpayers. His votes included support for small-business tax relief and measures to rein in government spending and oppose corporate welfare.
Lowe has also identified fiscal responsibility and the long-term elimination of property taxes among his legislative priorities.11
Ellen Fleischmann — Texas House District 96
Ellen Fleischmann12 is an attorney, small-business owner, and candidate for House District 96. She is running for the seat currently held by Rep. David Cook.
Fleischmann’s stated fiscal priorities13 include reducing property taxes and keeping government from imposing additional burdens on families and businesses. Her campaign describes property-tax relief as a central issue and calls for reducing government regulation to promote job creation.
Conclusion
The candidates profiled above bring varying combinations of local or state government experience and stated positions on spending, property taxes, and fiscal policy. Their records, whether measured by specific budget votes, tax-rate decisions, or legislative records, along with their publicly stated priorities, offer Tarrant County taxpayers concrete points of comparison as they evaluate the November 2026 ballot.
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility is an independent educational non-profit organization seeking to illuminate the actions of government, educate and equip citizens to effectively advocate for pro-taxpayer and pro-family reforms, and hold lawmakers accountable for their actions.
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- https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/county-judge.html? ↩︎
- https://texastaxpayers.com/tarrant-county-on-track-to-cut-property-taxes-again/ ↩︎
- https://www.alanblaylock.com/meet-alan? ↩︎
- https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/departments/the-fwlab/budget/fy2025? ↩︎
- https://www.alanblaylock.com/? ↩︎
- https://arminfortexas.com/meet-armin/ ↩︎
- https://citybudgets.tarrantcounty.com/flipbook/CityBudgets/2025/Keller/files/basic-html/page3.html? ↩︎
- https://arminfortexas.com/issues/ ↩︎
- https://netarrantrecord.com/articles/lowe-worku-compete-for-hd-91-seat-covering-northeast-tarrant-mub1qcu2 ↩︎
- https://index.texastaxpayers.com/legislators/david-lowe/2025-index ↩︎
- https://www.house.texas.gov/members/4643/biography ↩︎
- https://www.ballotready.org/people/ellen-fleischmann ↩︎
- https://www.ellen4texas.com/ ↩︎
