The political atmosphere of Fort Worth, Texas has been significantly altered by recent events. From the Republican Party's waning control over the suburbs to the economic and social changes brought about by the National Industrial Recovery Act, Texans have had to adjust to a new reality. In this article, we'll explore how these occurrences have impacted the political landscape of Fort Worth and what it means for the future. The Republican Party has been losing its grip on the suburbs of Dallas and Fort Worth as they become more diverse. This is evidenced by two new districts that have been created to strengthen rural white electoral power.
In response to this shift, chambers of commerce in Midland, Dallas, and Fort Worth have sponsored gardening projects, donating land and seeds or encouraging people to plant vegetables. Businessmen in Fort Worth and San Antonio have also pledged to hire part-time or weekly workers, but at the same time they passed ordinances not to hire bystanders; the jungles of drifters, which would soon be called Hooverville, alarmed Texans. In 1938, a political phenomenon occurred in Texas that overshadowed these partisan struggles and allowed Texans to focus on a central figure: Wilbert Lee (Please pass the biscuits, Pappy) O'Daniel. This event also provided funding for various projects such as red brick roads, Farrington Field stadium, Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum and Auditorium, John Peter Smith City-County Hospital, a new city hall and jail, a new public library, and the famous Fort Worth rose garden. The Texas delegation supported the National Industrial Recovery Act and emergency unemployment, always aware that a large portion of federal aid would reach Texas. In Austin, both university spending and state government employment boosted the economy while the political activities of the 41st Texas Legislature occupied much of the journalistic space.
Another problem during this time was the lack of public order which involved the Texas Rangers who supported Governor Ross Sterling during the Democratic primary at the end of July 1932. Oil prices plummeted so drastically at that time that Governor Ross Sterling declared martial law and temporarily closed the East Texas oil field. This was followed by a rule from the Texas Railroad Commission that regulated oil production. In Fort Worth, Record-Telegram and Star-Telegram pointed out that increased construction, rail traffic, oil production, and sales of livestock and poultry were stabilizing factors. The intensity with which Texas Republicans are fighting demographic trends as they redesign the state's congressional districts can best be seen in their new maps of the Dallas-Fort Worth region, particularly its suburbs. It is evident that recent events have had a major effect on the political landscape of Fort Worth and it will be intriguing to see how it continues to evolve in the future.
