Republican Barry Wernick is making taxes, election administration and public safety central to his campaign to unseat Dallas County Commissioner Andy Sommerman (D-District 2) in the November 3 general election.
Wernick, a Dallas attorney and mediator, told The Dallas Express that his campaign is built around “transparency, accountability, and affordability.”
“I’m the guy that’s trying to get the parties to resolve the disputes, which is important in politics,” Wernick said of his work as a mediator.
Election administration
Wernick previously challenged state Rep. Morgan Meyer (R-District 108) in the 2024 Republican primary for House District 108. He lost by 523 votes and requested a hand recount.
The recount identified a 15-ballot difference from the original tally, equal to 0.05% of the ballots cast, but did not change the outcome. Heider Garcia, the county’s elections administrator at the time, said the recount verified the result.
Wernick said that experience pushed election administration to the forefront of his political work.
“I saw a lot of things that went wrong with our elections,” Wernick told DX, citing concerns about chain of custody, auditability and ballot privacy.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Wernick also proposed relocating two Election Day vote centers from religious sites to Richardson ISD facilities, citing concerns about neutrality.
Taxes and county spending
Taxes are another major focus of Wernick’s campaign. On August 11, the Dallas County Commissioners Court voted 3-2 to adopt a tax rate of $0.248650 per $100 of valuation, up from $0.215500. Sommerman made the motion.
The official tax notice says the adopted rate would effectively increase maintenance and operations taxes by 22.02%. For a median homestead, the notice projects an annual county tax bill of $666.52, up $107.55, reflecting both the higher rate and a higher taxable value.
Because the adopted rate exceeds the county’s $0.224650 voter-approval rate, voters will decide November 3 whether to approve it. If voters reject the measure, the rate will revert to $0.224650.
The county order says the additional $0.024 per $100 would fund services involving homelessness, encampments, mental health treatment, neighborhood conditions and stable housing.
Wernick criticized the increase and argued that residents are already struggling with rising costs.
“We can’t afford Andy Sommerman,” Wernick said.
Wernick also pledged to pursue a third-party forensic audit of Dallas County finances and described himself as a potential watchdog on the Commissioners Court.
“What I can promise you is, I’ll be that watchdog,” Wernick said. “I’ll expose what’s going on.”
Sommerman’s campaign site says he would work to ensure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and effectively. His official county biography lists workforce housing, affordable child care, efforts to reduce the jail population and resources for homeless residents among his priorities.
Public safety and Dallas HERO
Public safety is another major component of Wernick’s campaign. He has called for greater cooperation between Dallas County and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while arguing that the county should prioritize the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, jail operations and law enforcement.
Wernick pointed to the 2024 Dallas HERO charter amendments as evidence that public safety and government accountability can attract support beyond traditional Republican voters.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Dallas voters approved two of three citizen-driven HERO propositions despite opposition from several Dallas elected officials.
Proposition S amended the City Charter to give Dallas residents standing to sue the City over alleged violations of local or state law. Proposition U called for Dallas to maintain a police force of at least 4,000 officers and directed specified portions of annual revenue growth toward the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System, police hiring and police pay.
Proposition S passed with 55.04% of the vote, while Proposition U passed with 50.52%.
The Dallas Express also covered an anti-HERO conference at which Commissioner John Wiley Price urged voters to reject Propositions S, T and U.
“The whole commissioners’ court publicly went against it,” Wernick said of the HERO proposals. “And they lost.”
Wernick said he hopes to assemble a similar coalition in his race, including Democrats and independents who are dissatisfied with county government.
“Limit government, not the people,” Wernick said, describing a central theme of his campaign.
Wernick said his candidacy is ultimately about introducing a political check on county government.
“Checks and balances,” Wernick said. “We don’t have that.”
Provided by Dallas Express
