This story was updated to include unofficial voting results as of 11:30 p.m. on November 5 and will continue to be updated.

Republican Rick Barnes won the race for Tarrant County tax assessor-collector, according to unofficial results from the Tarrant County Election Administration. With 225 of 350 voting centers reporting by 11:30 p.m., Barnes had received 55.84 percent of the vote.

Incumbent Republican Wendy Burgess, first elected to the position in 2018, lost a main challenge from Barnes in March. As a result, Barnes faces Democrat KC Chowdhury, a businessman and former American Airlines employee who ran uncontested in the Democratic primary.

Barnes, the former chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party, was the fundraising heavyweight in the race. Campaign finance reports show he has raised more than $47,000 since July, while Chowdhury has received no contributions throughout his campaign.

The assessor-collector is responsible for calculating property tax rates, collecting property taxes, and issuing car registrations and licenses. The incumbent of this position also serves as a voting member of the Tarrant Appraisal District Board of Directors.

To a debate organized by the Fort Worth Report in February, Barnes said he would cut taxes by limiting property value assessments to every three years and limiting the amount that can be raised at one time to 5 percent.

Three candidates for the Tarrant Appraisal District board ran on the same platform and ultimately adopted a modified version of that plan once in office. Some lawmakers and experts have questioned whether the changes were legal under the Texas tax code.

Chowdhury does not have a campaign website and did not respond to requests for comment during his campaign. Chowdhury previously ran as a Democrat in Texas House District 93. His campaign Facebook page can be found here.

Check out the Fort Worth report Electoral center And Voter’s Guide 2024 for more information.

Final and official vote totals will be posted here.

This story was originally published at 4:30 a.m. on November 5.

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