Heider Garcia resigns as Dallas County elections chief

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

---

This coverage is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting access. Sign up for Votebeat Texas’ free newsletters here.

Dallas County Elections Administrator Heider Garcia is leaving his post to work for one of the state’s certified voting machine companies. He submitted his letter of resignation on Thursday.

His last day with the county will be Aug. 29. Garcia’s resignation comes only months before a statewide constitutional-amendment election and the 2026 primary election. Planning for both elections is already underway.

The Dallas County Elections Commission — made up of a bipartisan group of county leaders — will choose the next elections administrator.

If a new administrator is not appointed before Garcia's last day, his deputy, Malissa Kouba, will carry out the duties until one is chosen, County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins’ office said in a statement to Votebeat.

Garcia did not respond to a request for comment Friday. He was hired by Austin-based Hart Intercivic and is set to become the company’s senior vice president of customer success, replacing Peter Lichtenheld, who is retiring. Nearly 90 counties across the state use Hart Intercivic’s voting systems,

In his resignation letter, Garcia thanked Jenkins for his support and encouragement.

“Your confidence in my leadership and the resources you provided allowed me to effectively deliver results,” he wrote. “I am grateful for our candid discussions, the valuable advice you always offered, and your commitment to prioritizing voters.”

Garcia was appointed elections administrator in Dallas County in the fall of 2023 after leading elections in Tarrant County since 2018. Garcia resigned from the role in Tarrant, citing political pressure from Republican County Judge Tim O’Hare. Garcia also worked for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, where he helped develop best practices for election officials across the country as an expert on election administration and election technology.

Garcia became one of the most respected elections directors in the state and was lauded by other election officials across the country for the way he dealt with misinformation and mistrust of elections during his time in Tarrant.

Garcia, who previously worked as a software engineer for the voting machine company Smartmatic, had also become the target of claims from some activists and allies of President Trump that he’d “rigged” the 2020 election in Tarrant County. He faced harassment and racist death threats. His efforts to engage with the activists and implement policies to increase transparency were later replicated by election officials around the state.

"Heider Garcia came to Dallas County with a proven track record of running excellent elections and he lived up to that reputation during his time here,” Jenkins said in the statement. “We appreciate his dedication and demonstrated leadership of this essential department.”

The Dallas County Election Commission is made up of Jenkins, a Democrat; the chairs of both county political parties, Republican Allen West and Democrat Kardal Coleman; the county’s tax assessor; and the county clerk.

Natalia Contreras is a reporter for Votebeat in partnership with the Texas Tribune. Contact Natalia at ncontreras@votebeat.org.

---

Shape the future of Texas at the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin! We bring together Texas’ most inspiring thinkers, leaders and innovators to discuss the issues that matter to you. Get tickets now and join us this November.

TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.