After less than two years in the role, Dallas County Elections Administrator Heider Garcia is resigning to take a job in the private sector, he confirmed Friday to The Dallas Morning News.
His last day will be Aug. 29, according to his resignation letter first reported by the news outlet VoteBeat Texas.
The move comes in the middle of Garcia’s preparations for the statewide constitutional amendment election on Nov. 4. Garcia stressed that his decision was prompted by a new elections-related career opportunity, although he declined to disclose details of the role.
“I think it’s been a great run,” Garcia said in an interview. “I’m proud of everything I’ve done. I’m proud of the team and what they’ve done for voters in Dallas. Sometimes in life you have to take your shot when it’s there for you to take, and this is my time.”
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The five-member Dallas County Elections Commission, which meets on an as-needed basis, is responsible for hiring the elections administrator.
In a statement to The News, County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins, a member of the elections commission, said the panel “will conduct a thorough and expeditious search for a new elections administrator.”
Jenkins said if a replacement is not appointed before Garcia’s last day, Deputy Elections Administrator Malissa Kouba will oversee day-to-day operations.
“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. “We appreciate his dedication and demonstrated leadership of this essential department. I wish him the best in his next chapter.”
Garcia came to Dallas County in 2023 after serving as Tarrant County’s elections administrator for about five years, when he faced tremendous personal pressure while fielding death threats, misinformation and unfounded claims of voter fraud.
Garcia earned respect in the field and served as a senior subject matter expert for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
In Dallas County he oversaw a crisis during early voting for the Nov. 4 general election, when electronic pollbooks from Election Systems & Software failed, resulting in nearly 4,000 voters casting ballots tied to precincts where they did not live.
He helped secure a new vendor and devices in time for the May 3 municipal elections.
In his resignation letter addressed to Jenkins and County Administrator Darryl Martin, Garcia praised the ability of his team to carry forward.
“While the job was not always easy, it certainly was rewarding,” Garcia wrote.
“Dallas County Elections has a great team of professionals, one that has nothing to envy from any other county anywhere in the country,” he said. “I move on happy to leave the Dallas County Elections Department in better shape than when I arrived.”