Fact check: Text blast from Texas PAC claims Democrats are backed by terrorists

Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Oct 27, 2026

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FORT WORTH, Texas — A political advertisement paid for by a Republican political action committee claims that three Tarrant County Democratic candidates are endorsed by a terrorist organization.

The PAC, Texans United for a Conservative Majority, is funded by West Texas oil moguls Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks. Much of the PAC’s money has been spent on Tarrant County Republican candidates, including Leigh Wambsganss in state Senate District 9, Cheryl Bean in state House District 94 and Bo French for railroad commissioner.

The PAC also backs Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare, who is facing Democrat Commissioner Alisa Simmons on the ballot. The race will be a major test of the historically red county’s political leaning and, if it has turned blue, as county Democrats have teased for years. O’Hare himself has said the seat is in danger of flipping.

In a text message blast paid for by Texans United for a Conservative Majority, Simmons and two other Tarrant County Democrats are accused of being endorsed by a “designated Islamic terrorist organization,” alluding to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The two other candidates endorsed are Texas House candidates incumbent Rep. Salman Bhojani of Euless and Junior Ezeonu of Grand Prairie. Ezeonu unseated eight-term incumbent Chris Turner in the March primary.

In November 2025, Gov. Greg Abbott designated CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization and transnational criminal organization.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is an advocacy group focused on enhancing understanding of Islam, protecting civil rights, promoting justice and empowering American Muslims, according to its website.

“CAIR condemns terrorism whenever it happens, wherever it happens, whoever commits it,” according to a press release on its website. “CAIR is a natural enemy of violent extremists. Our positive track record of success fully discredits their arguments that minorities cannot receive fair treatment in our nation.”

The organization has a political arm, CAIR Action, which lists candidates in 39 states and whether the group opposes, remains neutral, prefers or endorses individuals based on how well the candidate aligns with CAIR Action’s priorities.

In the Tarrant County races, all of the candidates CAIR prefers or endorses are Democrats. CAIR made 57 endorsements but listed hundreds of other candidates as the group’s preferred winner. The endorsements include Simmons, Bhojani and Ezeonu.

CAIR Action listed Democrats James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa as their preferred candidates in the U.S. Senate and Texas governor races.

The Republican Party has had multiple instances of Islamophobia from Texas GOP elected officials and candidates.

French, the Republican railroad commissioner candidate who has been given $200,000 by Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC, has repeatedly called for all Muslims to be deported. French made an online post in September targeting University of Texas students of South Asian descent and conducted an online poll in June 2025 asking whether Jews or Muslims were a bigger threat to America.

In February, Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, running for U.S. Senate, sued the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR “to ban the terrorist organizations from operating in Texas and to stop their violent ideology from spreading across the state,” according to a press release from his office.