The letter, released this week, attributes the losses in the longtime Republican stronghold to voters rejecting "a party culture that has spent its energy narrowing its own ranks instead of persuading its neighbors." It calls for restoring "a culture of service, civility, and principled conservative leadership" and pledges that signers will work to regain voters' trust.

"The leadership that authorized this defeat cannot be the leadership that asks for the voters' confidence back," the letter concludes.

Among the signers are former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, Texas Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright, and Fort Worth City Councilman Charlie Lauersdorf. Former Southlake Mayor John Huffman, who also signed, described the election results bluntly.

"This was a butt whooping," Huffman said. "This was not necessarily a realignment of a county or a state's political values. This was a rejection of a political party, the Republican Party."

Huffman pointed to the party's statewide nominees as part of the problem, specifically citing Attorney General Ken Paxton's loss to Democrat James Talarico, who became the first Democratic U.S. senator from Texas in 30 years.

"We led with a nominee that you can charitably call one of the most corrupt politicians in Texas' history," Huffman said.

The midterm results have reshaped Tarrant County's political landscape. Democrats will now hold a 4-1 majority on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court, a dramatic shift in a county that Republicans have dominated for decades. The GOP had approved a redistricting plan aimed at increasing conservative representation on the court, but the effort failed to prevent the Democratic wave.

Lauersdorf said the party must refocus on the issues that affect all residents, rather than internal disputes.

"Let's worry what matters most. Our public safety, our infrastructure, our cost of living, our quality of life. That affects 100% of our residents," he said. "Stay focused on what actually matters."

He also urged Republicans remaining in office to work with the new Democratic majority.

"I hope the Republicans that are still there do work with the Democrats. Reach across the aisle," Lauersdorf said. "They don't have to get along on every subject. They don't have to agree on every subject, but ultimately they do have to work together."

The Tarrant County GOP has not publicly responded to the open letter.

The letter reflects a growing reckoning within local Republican circles after a cycle that saw Democrats make significant inroads across Texas. For Tarrant County residents, the shift means new leadership on key county decisions, from infrastructure to public safety, and a test of whether the GOP can rebuild trust with a diversifying electorate.