TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — After what happened in Tarrant County during the Tuesday primary election, some political experts believe every candidate will have to do whatever it takes to get voters' attention and more importantly their support -- especially voters who are looking for change.
Scott Harrill is a Southlake resident who wanted his voice heard by voting in the primary. He hopes he is not alone after seeing Texas shift from being a red state when it comes to political party leadership.
"I think it's important to get out there and let your vote be heard," said Harrill.
Voters, like Harrill, participated in Tuesday's primary in hopes to have an impact. And this time, Harrill put in some homework, studying the candidates before deciding who to support. Although he is dedicated to one party, he is still concerned about representation.
"With everything going on in our world today, and the possible threat of Texas turning blue or purple as they say, I wanted to really get out here and make sure I chose the best candidates to represent Republicans," said Harrill.
The Texas primary brought upsets, like in the race for Tarrant County judge. Once considered a shoe-in, Betsy Price tweeted about being defeated by contender Tim O'Hare.
Price probably had the most recognizable political sign for the primary race. It was a bright yellow sign in the shape of a price tag. In addition, Price could easily be considered a household name from her days as mayor.
Still, primary voters decided to go another direction.
Dr. Kimi Lynn King is the chair and professor for the Political Science Department at the University of North Texas. She has closely watched the political atmosphere for Fort Worth and Tarrant County, which is one of the fastest growing municipalities in the country. The O'Hare versus Price primary upset comes as no surprise to King.
"The party faithful always turn out for the primaries," King said. "When you go to shift from one job to another job, you know, I can be mayor and now I want to go do this, the people may not necessarily think that you're the best person for that position."
Leo Cardenas is a Grapevine resident who hopes to influence the outcome of the November elections. Cardenas believes it starts with being active in the primary.
Cardenas said, "We hope this time we can actually turn Texas blue."
Statewide issues like winter weather power outages and new voting laws are some of the things that influenced Cardenas to get out and vote. He talked about the issues dear to him and his family that makes him an active participant at the polls.
"Women's rights, voters rights, the issues with the power grid that we have had," said Cardenas.
Whether Texas remains red, goes purple or turns blue, after surprises in the primary, King believes all candidates will have to work hard between now and November.
"Like everything else in American politics, it's always stay tuned," King said. "The story isn't over until it's over."