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Dallas County Commissioner's Court Swings To Democrats

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Elba Garcia defeated longtime Dallas County Commissioner Ken Mayfield in Tuesday's election. Mayfield's seat was pivotal to establish Republican control over the Commissioner's Court. But with the additions of Democrats Garcia and Clay Jenkins, the politics of the court may change.

"Those are some fairly significant changes in terms of county politics," said political analyst John Weekley. "You've got redistricting that goes on, you've got the selection of election judges."

Outgoing Democratic County Judge Jim Foster, who lost in the Primary Elections, hopes politics will not prevail in making those decisions.

"It's not about one party or another party, it's really about what is best for the citizens of Dallas County," Foster said. "That's the way it's been and I hope that's it way it will continue to be … we have left the party politics out of the equation."

Garcia said she's consulted the public and found they are "tired of the bickering" and "finger-pointing." The court received much publicity last year for its members being involved in particularly tumultuous shouting matches during meetings.

She said to avoid this, she will try and make the court more accountable.

"[We're] starting to videotape all the meetings, go ahead and post attendance and how the votes go in Commissioner's Court," Garcia said. "I think that will bring us closer to the voters."

She added that she wants to speak more with city officials in her district to add their concerns to her priority list.

"We have to go ahead and start working on public safety, transportation, economic developments, jobs, jobs, jobs," she said.

Weekley remains optimistic of this possibility: he said though the politics will likely change, day-to-day activities of the court will not. They will still have to hold themselves accountable to their constituents.

"I think if you looked at Democrats on the Commissioner's Court as opposed to Republicans, you'll probably see a little more tax and spending as solutions as opposed to cutting budgets and so-on," he said. "But I don't know that there'll be much of a huge shift. "

"I don't know that people out of politics will notice it as much as those who are Democrats and Republicans," he finished.

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