Trevor Buker is making a second run for Tarrant County Judge to fix what he sees as systemic failures under incumbent Tim O’Hare.
The 42-year-old Republican works as a behavioral health security officer and serves as a GOP precinct chair. He first ran for the position in 2022 in a crowded Republican primary. But this time around, he’s hoping the outcome will be different.
“I’m running because I watched commissioners work pretty closely,” he told Townhall. “I’ve seen all the constitutional violations.”
One of the reasons Buker is challenging incumbent County Judge Tim O’Hare centers on a disregard for constitutional rights and transparency. He brought up several incidents when O’Hare summarily removed citizens from commissioners court meetings for clapping or criticizing county policies.
In December 2025, Fort Worth pastor Bishop Mark Kirkland filed a federal lawsuit against O’Hare, arguing that he violated his First Amendment rights when he ejected him from a public meeting. Kirkland is seeking $250,000 in damage over the matter.
For too long, the local swamp and bad actors have ignored We the People, protected themselves, and sold out our values. That ends this year. Change doesn’t come from complaining online it comes from showing up.https://t.co/boxFe8jxpnhttps://t.co/gKIH7scqXV pic.twitter.com/tHfib1AJFM
— Robert Trevor Buker for Tarrant County Judge (@RobertTBuker) January 2, 2026
"If you're a Republican, but if you're willing to violate [the Constitution], but still call yourself a Republican or even a conservative, you're really crapping on it, and you should probably step down," Buker said.
Buker has been a critic of O’Hare’s tax policies. He challenged the judge’s claim that he delivered historic tax cuts to the county. He claims he lowered Tarrant County’s tax rate for three consecutive years and slashed $58 million from the operating budget.
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However, these cuts don’t actually translate to financial relief for homeowners in Tarrant County, according to Buker. The candidate pointed out that O’Hare’s cuts get “swallowed up” by rising property appraisals controlled by the Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD), which is responsible for setting values used to determine property values.
The TAD rate has risen exponentially as the county’s tax rate has taken a slight drop. "Until you beat the TAD rate, you're not going to see any change," Buker said. "Everybody I talk to, they're like, it hasn't gone down."
Judge O’Hare could not be reached for comment.
Buker also pointed to generous tax abatements from large companies like Amazon. These businesses can receive up to 10 years of tax breaks with a minimum investment of $5 million, according to the Tarrant County’s official tax abatement policy. Yet, everyday Texans haven’t received any relief, Buker said. "As long as you let businesses come in here tax free, we're not going to get anywhere," he noted.
If he wins the race, Buker plans to lower property taxes by either eliminating or reducing the ad valorem tax, which he described as “line item taxing.” These are extra property taxes that apply to structures on a person’s property, such as pools, shed, or other property improvements.
Buker also seeks to foster transparency by allowing people to sign up in person, instead of just online, for commissioners court meetings so they can speak without fear of retaliation.
One of Buker’s other priorities involves criminal justice. He is an avid proponent of law and order, but he also sees the problems Tarrant County’s jail system has faced. Since Sheriff Bill Waybourn took office in 2017, at least 77 people have died in custody, compared to only 25 deaths in the prior eight years, according to Bolts Magazine.
The candidate referred to the April 2024 death of Anthony Johnson Jr., a 31-year-old former Marine who passed away after a jailer knelt on his back. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner labeled Johnson’s death a homicide caused by mechanical and chemical asphyxiation. A grand jury indicted two jailers for murder charges in relation to Johnson’s death.
"Nowhere that I've worked at, do they teach you to put your knee on somebody's back," Buker told Townhall, calling the move an automatic fireable offense. "The first thing that I'm going to deal with is we're going to follow standard operating procedures. And if you violate a use of force policy, you're guaranteed I'm not going to pay an attorney to try to get you out of it."
Buker also said he would enforce standard operating procedures and make sure inmates receive timely medical care as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act. A significant portion of the in custody deaths have been the result of delayed or inadequate medical care.
"If they're saying, hey, I need my medicine, they're going to spin out. Give them their medicine, because the last thing I want to do is wrestle somebody when it could have been avoidable,” Buker said, also noting that he would “visit the jail as much as I possibly can” to ensure that inmates are treated fairly.
The candidate has worked in adult and juvenile corrections for decades. He said his hands-on experience gives him a unique insight into how jails should operate. "If you can keep 75 different personalities from fighting each other, I think you can handle just about anything," he said.
The Republican primary is set for March 3, 2026, with early voting beginning February 17. The general election will be held November 3, 2026.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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