UPDATED to add more information about partisan endorsements and runoff dates.
Voters in Collin County went to the polls Saturday to elect key city and school officials, as well as decide on hundreds of millions in new debt that must be repaid by local property taxpayers.
In Collin County’s four largest cities and school districts—Allen, Frisco, McKinney, and Plano—every city council seat and all but one school board position on the May 1 ballot was contested.
The nominally non-partisan local elections were decidedly more partisan this year, with local Democrat and Republican parties endorsing candidates in multiple races.
In the 12 races in which both parties endorsed, Republican-supported candidates won nine and Democrat-endorsed candidates took one. Two are going to runoffs.
Overall, candidates endorsed by the Collin County Republican Party won 12 races, lost nine, and are going to runoffs in six. Candidates endorsed by the Collin County Democrats won two races, lost nine, and are headed to runoffs in three. Democrat-recommended candidates fared better, winning four races in McKinney including for mayor, as well as the Plano mayoral race.
Turnout countywide was 14.7 percent.
Below are unofficial results for select local races in Collin County.
Collin College Board of Trustees
Incumbents Bob Collins, Andy Hardin, and Jim Orr were re-elected to six-year terms. All three were endorsed by the Collin County Republican Party, while Collin County Democrats endorsed their opponents.
Allen
Allen City Council races attracted 15 candidates for three positions—two open due to term limits, and one held by a first-term Democrat who riled residents by proposing a ban on gun shows at the city-owned event center.
Daren Meis won the six-way race for the open Place 1 seat with just over 50 percent of the vote, well ahead of second-place finisher Dwight Burns.
Place 3 Councilmember Lauren Doherty will face challenger Dave Cornette in a runoff, after each drew just over 40 percent of votes cast. Former councilmember Joey Herald played spoiler in the race, drawing 16 percent.
Dave Shafer and Philip Brewer are also headed to a runoff after finishing first and second in the race for the open Place 5 seat.
All other candidates in the races finished with single digits.
Collin County Republicans endorsed Meis, Cornette, and Shafer; Democrats endorsed Burns and Doherty.
Allen Independent School District Trustees Kevin Cameron, Sarah Mitchell, and David Noll were re-elected to three-year terms. All three were endorsed by the Collin County Republican Party.
District voters also approved the attendance credit proposition.
Frisco
Frisco City Council races drew six candidates for two seats on the May ballot.
Place 1 Councilmember John Keating easily defeated challenger JP Schade with 76 percent of the vote.
Jennifer White and Angelia Pelham will go to a runoff for the open Place 3. They were the top two finishers in the race to replace term-limited incumbent Will Sowell.
The Collin County Republican Party endorsed Keating and White.
Frisco Independent School District voters re-elected Place 7 incumbent René Archambault. Place 6 Trustee John Classe ran unopposed.
McKinney
McKinney City Council races brought out 12 candidates for four spots, including two open council seats and the mayor’s office.
Mayor George Fuller was re-elected to a second four-year term over challengers Tom Meredith and Jimmy Stewart.
Justin Beller and Stan Penn will compete in a runoff to fill the District 1 seat formerly held by La’Shadion Shemwell, who was recalled in November.
Gere’ Feltus won the open District 3 seat over Vicente Torres, replacing retiring incumbent Scott Elliott.
At Large Place 1 Councilmember Charlie Philips defeated challenger Brian Magnuson.
Collin County Democrats didn’t endorse in any McKinney City Council races but recommended Fuller, Beller, Feltus, and Phillips. Republicans endorsed Meredith, Penn, Torres, and Magnuson, who ran as a citizen-focused slate challenging the current establishment.
McKinney Independent School District drew 11 candidates for four board seats.
Larry Jagours defeated Place 1 incumbent Maria McKinzie, and challenger Chad Green ousted Place 3 incumbent Kathi Livezey,
Place 2 Trustee Philip Hassler defeated challenger Anthony Congine.
Harvey Oaxaca won the open Place 7 (At Large) seat with 48 percent, well ahead of second-place Serena Ashcroft in the four-way race.
Democrats endorsed Jagours and recommended Oaxaca. Republicans endorsed Congine, Green, and Ashcroft.
District voters also approved an attendance credit proposition, a property tax rate increase, and $275 million in new property tax-backed bond debt for facilities, buses, and technology.
Parker
Incumbents Diana Abraham and Cindy Meyer were re-elected to Parker City Council, along with Jim Reed. Meyer was endorsed by the Collin County Republican Party.
Plano
Plano City Council voters chose from among 11 candidates for four council seats.
Place 2 Councilmember Anthony Ricciardelli was re-elected over challenger Steve Lavine, and Place 8 Councilmember Rick Smith beat challenger Elisa Klein. Both will serve one more four-year term.
Place 4 Councilmember Kayci Prince drew three challengers and will face one of them, Justin Adcock, in a runoff.
John Muns will replace term-limited Mayor Harry LaRosiliere. Muns defeated Councilmember Lily Bao, who resigned her council seat to make a second run for mayor of Plano.
A special election to fill Bao’s unexpired term is headed to a runoff between top finishers Julie Holmer and Chris Robertson.
Republicans endorsed Ricciardelli, Smith, Adcock, and Bao. Democrats endorsed Lavine, Klein, and Holmer, and recommended Muns.
Plano voters also approved $364 million in new property tax-backed bond debt for streets, parks, and other public facilities.
Plano Independent School District voters elected Lauren Tyra to the open Place 1 school board seat. Incumbents Angela Powell, Nancy Humphrey, and Jeri Chambers were re-elected to new four-year terms.
Collin County Republicans endorsed Powell and one of Tyra’s opponents, along with two other challengers. Democrats endorsed Tyra and one of Powell’s opponents.
Wylie
Wylie City Council’s open Place 4 was won by Scott Williams. He was endorsed by Republicans, while Democrats endorsed his opponent Mary Harris.
Place 2 incumbent Dave Strang was unopposed.
Results of all local elections on the May 2021 ballot are posted on the Collin County Elections website. Early voting starts May 24 in the June 5 runoffs.
