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This coverage is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting access. The article is available for reprint under the terms of Votebeat’s republishing policy.
Heider Garcia, a highly praised election official from Texas, who stepped down as elections director in Tarrant County due to political pressure earlier this year, is poised to assume the role of Dallas County’s next elections chief.
During an election commission meeting on Wednesday, Dallas County officials announced that Garcia’s initial day will be on December 20.
Michael Scarpello, who served as Dallas County elections administrator since 2020, has announced his resignation and upcoming retirement. Having dedicated over 20 years to working in elections across different jurisdictions nationwide, Scarpello’s departure will take effect on December 19th.
In a text message on Wednesday, Garcia expressed his gratitude, stating, “I feel privileged to have been appointed. I will approach my new role with utmost humility and put in tremendous effort to emulate Michael’s achievements. Dallas truly deserves excellence, and I am committed to working towards that objective.”
Garcia, one of the most respected elections directors in the state during his time in Tarrant, had been Tarrant County’s elections administrator since 2018. Since former President Donald Trump began to make baseless allegations of fraud in connection with the outcome of the 2020 election, Tarrant County — the state’s most populous swing county — has been at the center of unfounded election fraud conspiracies.
After serving as a software engineer for the voting machine company Smartmatic in Venezuela, Garcia faced additional accusations from voter fraud activists and supporters of Trump. They accused him of manipulating the Tarrant election, leading to the online publication of his personal address by fringe activists. As a result, Garcia had to endure harassment and disturbing death threats that were racially motivated.
Instead of withdrawing or dismissing voter fraud activists outright, Garcia did as much as he could to answer any question or suspicion that anyone had about elections and the process in Tarrant. This approach was praised by election officials across the state and nationwide. It also earned him the trust of many members of the public, including some critics.
But he submitted his resignation to Tarrant County officials in April, months after Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare took office. O’Hare, the county’s chief executive, ran on a campaign focused on election integrity and launched a county election integrity task force, despite a lack of evidence of any widespread voter fraud.
Garcia expressed in his resignation letter to O’Hare that his approach to “conducting a fair and transparent election” is built upon principles of respect and a complete absence of politics. He firmly stated that he cannot compromise on these values. During their previous meeting, it became evident to him that O’Hare’s approach differs significantly from his own. Therefore, Garcia made the decision to resign.
Afterwards, Garcia served at the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, utilizing his expertise as a senior subject matter expert on elections and elections technology to aid in the development of best practices for election officials nationwide. This federal agency is responsible for overseeing the voluntary guidelines that numerous states employ to establish minimum standards for voting machines. Additionally, the agency provides support to local election officials and serves as a hub for sharing best practices.
Garcia is set to assume control in Dallas County, a Democratic stronghold in Texas that boasts over 1.4 million registered voters. This transition occurs while the elections department is currently organizing the presidential primary election in March and the 2024 general election. Garcia assured Votebeat that his approach to the job remains consistent, even after leaving Tarrant County. He emphasized the importance of familiarizing himself with the county and its constituents in order to effectively serve them. Furthermore, he affirmed that his commitment to transparency, accessibility, and accountability remains unwavering.
“Nothing has broken Heider. He is stronger and wiser as a result of his past experiences and that’s another great advantage for Dallas County and its voters,” John Scott, a former Texas secretary of state and former interim Texas attorney general, told Votebeat. Scott, a resident of Tarrant County, described Garcia as the “prototype” of an elections administrator. Scott offered kudos to Dallas County officials “for identifying a great asset and for getting him to take on the task.”
During his tenure in Dallas County, Scarpello led efforts to improve the elections department’s infrastructure, including its processes and procedures, its facilities, technology, communications, and organizational design. To combat bad information about elections, the department added a rumor control section to its website.
Scarpello informed Votebeat that he approached Garcia to join Dallas County after discovering his resignation in Tarrant and as he made preparations for his retirement.
In an email, Scarpello expressed his confidence in Garcia’s expertise in managing elections in Texas and his technical proficiency to uphold the ongoing modernization efforts of the Dallas County Elections Department. He eagerly anticipates collaborating with Garcia in the coming weeks to ensure a seamless transition.
Garcia expressed his desire to sustain Scarpello’s momentum, stating that he has plans to enhance transparency in election records once he becomes more familiar with the task.
The responsibility for making the hire of the Dallas County election commission, consisting of Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins (a Democrat), GOP chair Jennifer Stoddard-Hajdu, Democratic Party chair Kardal Coleman, the county’s tax assessor, and the county clerk, has been reviewing resumes for approximately one week. Garcia was appointed by four election commissioners, while Stoddard-Hajdu was the sole opposition.
10 applications were received by the county for the job. Garcia and Robert Heard, who previously served as the assistant elections administrator in the county’s elections department and is currently the human resources director, were the final two candidates. According to Bob Wilson, the county’s human resources director, Garcia and Heard were the only applicants who met the job qualifications, which required experience as an elections administrator or deputy elections director in a county with over 100,000 residents. On Wednesday, the election commission members interviewed both candidates during an executive session and ultimately appointed Garcia.
Jenkins, the Dallas County judge, stated in an email that the commission selected Garacia due to his successful experience in overseeing elections in various locations, most notably Tarrant County.
Jenkins added that Heider has received accolades from elected officials of both parties and former Texas Secretaries of State for his meticulous approach, impartiality, and exceptional leadership skills.
Natalia Contreras covers election administration and voting access for Votebeat in partnership with the Texas Tribune. Contact Natalia at [email protected].
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