Mid City Times

FORT WORTH – As Texas Democrats ramp up efforts to take several state House districts in the fall, northeast Tarrant County is looking to be a hotly contested area.

Texas House District 92, which includes the Hurst, Euless and Bedford suburbs, is represented by Rep. Jonathan Stickland (R-Bedford), but Strickland is not running this year.

With no incumbent, the Republicans faced a contested primary to replace a man who has ranked among the most conservative representatives in the state.

Strickland first made it into office in 2012, riding the wave of support from Tea Party and other groups seeking to shift the Texas House in a more to the right. Over the course of three terms, he earned a reputation for killing or derailing legislation, keeping with the conservative line he had originally run on.

In 2018, Strickland won re-election by a 1,500-vote margin, a change from the comfortable leads he had secured in the previous two elections. When it came time to campaign for another term, he announced he was retiring.

With Strickland not running, his Democratic challenger from 2018, Steve Riddell, had hoped to make another try for the District 92 seat. 

Yet, it was not to be. Riddell fell in the Democratic primary to Jeff Whitfield, who took 56.2% of the vote.

“I’m honored to have the support of the voters in House District 92,” Whitfield said in a statement. “I got in this race to fight for the issues that matter to the members of this community – increasing access to affordable healthcare, prioritizing public education, and promoting policies that grow our economy and create jobs. Now it’s for all of us to unite in this fight and win in November.”

Whitfield had touted his credentials as a lawyer with experience in drafting and arguing legislation during his run for office.

On the Republican side, the primary pitted Jeff Cason, a former Bedford city councilmember, against Jim Griffin and Taylor Gillig.

Cason’s opponents had both called for a shift away from more partisan politics toward cooperation in the state House.

Cason had drawn significant support from Strickland's base, with endorsements from the retiring representatives' staunchest backers such as True Tarrant Project and Empower Texans.

Cason came out of the primary with 54.1% of the vote. Griffin was his closest opposition, with 36.6% of the vote.