In the heated mid-term elections, several TCU faculty experts were featured in the news. Emily Farris, associate professor of political science; Guy Golan, associate professor of strategic communication; Joanne Connor Green, political science professor; and James Riddlesperger, political science professor, were featured by numerous outlets, from USA Today to Spectrum News and numerous local media.
As North Texas urban centers grow, GOP’s advantage shrinks, midterm election shows
Nov. 11, 2022
The Jago Times
Tarrant County, another GOP-dominated region that has seen an increasing number of
Democratic votes, increased support for Democrats by 3.04 percentage points. “We shouldn’t
delude ourselves in any way that the Democrats are about to take over,’’ said Riddlesperger. “At the same time, election coalitions are dynamic and what we’re seeing is the
competitiveness of the two political parties in this area is becoming more apparent.”
Abortion helped Democrats across the U.S. hold off a “red wave.” Not in Texas.
Nov. 9, 2022
Texas Tribune
In a pivotal first election after the complete upending of abortion access in the
United States, things looked about the same as always in Texas. Republicans swept
easily to victory statewide, shoring up the Legislature’s dominant anti-abortion bloc,
and at least three more cities passed local ordinances further banning the procedure.
“We’re not having elections that are in neutrally drawn districts that would reflect
necessarily neutral politics,” said Green. “These are freshly drawn partisan districts that are designed to temper some of
these trends.”
What happened in Texas elections: A breakdown of key races and why neither party is
satisfied
Nov. 9, 2022
WFAA-TV
Democrats haven’t won a statewide office in Texas in 28 years. In 2022, Gov. Greg
Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Attorney General Ken Paxton all won by nearly identical
margins. “I did think that one might be a little closer than the other, but it turned
out that that didn’t matter at all,” Riddlesperger said. “While Democrats can’t take any heart from what happened yesterday, I think
they can take the message of, 'Golly we’re getting closer,'” he said. “I think it’s
wishful thinking that Democrats could even be competitive in Texas this year.”
Republicans still reign in Tarrant County
Nov. 9, 2022
Fort Worth Business Press
In the marquee Tarrant County races, Republican Tim O’Hare defeated Democrat Deborah
Peoples in the county judge contest, and Republican Phil Sorrells defeated Democrat
Tiffany D. Burks to become the county’s next district attorney. “I can’t think of
a single example of any surprises in the outcome of the election in Tarrant County
or Texas,” Riddlesperger said.
Tarrant County voter turnout higher than rest of Texas. Will county remain competitive
for both parties?
Nov. 9, 2022
Fort Worth Report
Voter turnout was higher in Tarrant County compared with the rest of the state during
the midterm elections Tuesday. However, it was lower than 2018, when it hit a decade
high. In 2018, 56% of registered voters in Tarrant County cast a ballot. “Turnout
in 2018 was an anomaly, possibly prompted by increased polarization following the
2016 election of Donald Trump,” Riddlesperger said. “Maybe it’s the polarization and the perception that there’s a lot at stake in these
elections — maybe more so than it used to be.”
O’Hare victory in Tarrant County judge race sets up more partisan Commissioners Court.
What does that mean for county policy?
Nov. 9, 2022
Fort Worth Report
Tarrant County voters are sticking with Republicans and tapped Tim O’Hare to lead
the next era of conservative leadership within the county. “When O’Hare is sworn in
as county judge in January, his priorities will likely take a different shape,” Riddlesperger said. “The politics of getting elected, of course, are rallying people to support you or
rallying people to oppose your opponent. The hope is that you will get more votes
than your opponent gets because that’s how we define success and election. But governing
is an entirely different proposition and particularly in the county judge, it’s a
diverse thing.”
Alisa Simmons keeps Tarrant County commissioner seat blue with victory in Precinct
2
Nov. 9, 2022
Fort Worth Report
This year’s voter turnout in Texas was lower than the two previous election cycles. Riddlesperger said this reality made results, especially in lower-profile commissioner's court
races, even more difficult to predict. “The election four years ago was very close, which motivated people to vote,” Riddlesperger said. “(With) voting turnout significantly lower this year than it was four years
ago, predicting who’s going to win is also dealing with a very different voter base
than it would have been four years ago.”
The recipe for a strong and accurate poll
Nov. 8, 2022
Spectrum News 1 Central NY
Throughout the election season, news organizations and campaigns will tout polls as
a snapshot of a political race. At the end of the day, the only poll that matters
is the votes cast on Election Day. But what makes a strong and accurate poll? Golan said a good sample leads to a more accurate result. He said that polls could be used
to help sway undecided voters in a close election and potentially swing the election
in their favor, and argues that undecided voters typically want to back a winning
candidate.
Think Tarrant County is Republican now? Just wait until O’Hare and Sorrells take over
Nov. 8, 2022
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
New commissioners could redraw precincts to be more Republican. In the words of Riddlesperger, who’s analyzed Texas politics for 40 years, “The whole atmosphere for decision-making
in the commissioner's court is about to change. “The rhetoric for running even for
local office these days seems to deal with national partisan talking points ... But,
and this is especially true in local politics, governing is about bringing people
together,” he added.
Election Day is here. How might Tarrant County politics change after midterms?
Nov. 7, 2022
Fort Worth Report
Voters decide whether Tarrant County is a political battleground as political observers
have described it or if it continues to be the most populous Republican county in
Texas. The heated back and forth between candidates vying for county judge and district
attorney shows Green how national politics have crept into more local offices. “We’ve been spared some
of that (polarization) here because some of the elections aren’t really as competitive
as we’ve seen in other localities,” Green said. “But it could be more reflective of
broader trends of the polarization we’re seeing in American politics.”
Hundreds of US sheriffs are up for election. What are their political views?
Nov. 3, 2022
USA Today
Over the last decade, debates about police violence, mass incarceration and other
criminal justice issues have generally focused on police chiefs and prosecutors. To
make sense of this blend of policing and politics, The Marshall Project — a nonprofit
news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system — conducted an exclusive,
wide-ranging survey with two of America’s leading scholarly experts on sheriffs, including Farris.
Final campaign ads in governor's race are more personal
Nov. 3, 2022
Spectrum News
All eyes are on the Texas governor race. It has become the most expensive gubernatorial
race in Texas history. Both Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott and his Democratic
challenger Beto O’Rourke are fierce fundraisers. “They’re going to just bang out the
negativity, and the threat, and the concern that if you don’t vote—if you don’t come
out and choose the right candidate—there’ll be real implications for your family,”
Golan said.
Done Singing the Blues?
Nov. 2, 2022
Fort Worth, Texas Magazine
As the 2022 Texas governor race comes close, Beto O’Rourke has put a focus on Tarrant
County, appearing here on several occasions for campaign opportunities. “Tarrant County
and Fort Worth is the only urban area in the country that is not dominant Democratic,
so, the result of that is, people focus a lot here because it’s the largest ‘in-play’
county in the nation,” Riddlesperger said. “A lot of what will determine [the election] are straight-party ticket voters.”