With the March 3 Republican primary closing in, GOP hopefuls for key Tarrant County and state legislative seats shared the same stage in Fort Worth yesterday, trading pitches on immigration, redistricting, and public safety as they worked to win over skeptical primary voters.
The forum, organized by Fort Worth Report along with SteerFW and the League of Women Voters, took place at the Baker Building. Candidates for County Commissioner Precinct 2 and several Texas House seats fielded voter questions. According to Fort Worth Report, panels featured Kyle Morris (House District 91), Zdenka “Zee” Wilcox (District 98), Lucila Seri (Commissioner Precinct 2), and multiple contenders for District 94. The forum was livestreamed, and a replay is available for those who missed it in person.
What They Told Voters
On stage, candidates repeatedly circled back to immigration, redistricting and affordability, offering slightly different flavors of the same Republican message.
Michael Ingraham told voters he would not interfere with federal immigration enforcement. Kyle Morris called the United States “a nation of immigrants” but also “a nation of laws,” and pledged to work across party lines on public safety. Zdenka “Zee” Wilcox argued that everyday issues such as safety and financial security “don't recognize a partisan divide” and urged cooperation between state and local authorities and federal immigration officers, as reported by Fort Worth Report.
Wilcox's Ballot Fight
Wilcox took the stage fresh off a legal clash with the Tarrant County GOP chair that briefly put her candidacy in jeopardy. As detailed by KERA, she sued after being told she had filed the wrong form and later reached an agreement that kept her on the March ballot. The dust-up became a talking point for Republicans who say it laid bare internal party tensions.
Why It Matters
The forum unfolded as local Republicans are still processing a political jolt: Democrat Taylor Rehmet recently flipped a long-held GOP state Senate seat, a result party insiders say has intensified pressure to hold suburban ground. That special election outcome drew broad attention and has raised the stakes for March’s primaries, according to NBCDFW.
Voting Dates
The primary is scheduled for March 3, with in-person early voting running from Feb. 17 through Feb. 27, per the Texas Secretary of State. Voters are encouraged to confirm their precinct assignments and polling locations with Tarrant County elections officials before early voting begins.
With less than a month until ballots are cast, candidates said they plan to keep knocking on doors, working phones and pushing their messages to Republican voters across Tarrant County. Forums like this one, along with the recorded replays, give local Republicans a closer look at how these hopefuls say they would steer county and state policy if they emerge from the March primary.
