Frisco’s mayoral race goes to a runoff in June

Frisco voters just picked their top two mayoral candidates in a tight race. None of the four hopefuls crossed the 50% mark, so the showdown now heads to June 13. The winner will replace the outgoing mayor, who’s served nine years and can’t run again. Frisco has exploded in size since the last open-seat election in 2017—growing by roughly 40%—so whoever wins will be the city’s leader during another big growth spurt. Mark Hill, a lawyer and ex-school-board member, finished first with about a third of the vote. Rod Vilhauer, a retired builder who’s new to politics, came in second with just under a third. The other two candidates, both former city councilors, landed further back. Hill raised around $208, 000, less than Vilhauer’s $276, 000, but more than the others. Voter turnout hit a record 25, 128 people—a little less than 18% of registered voters. That’s only the second time Frisco’s mayoral turnout has climbed above 15% in recent years, so the city is clearly engaged this time around.Hill’s supporters gathered at a local bar, wearing shirts that said “Unite Frisco. ” He told the crowd he treated the campaign like running a business and promised to bring fresh energy to City Hall. Vilhauer, meanwhile, held a smaller gathering where he choked up thanking volunteers. He admitted he started with almost no name recognition but has lived in Frisco since 1986 and once served on the planning commission. During the campaign, Vilhauer made headlines for comments about South Asian immigrants and his pushback against what he called “Shariah spreading in Frisco. ” He also picked up endorsements from local Republican leaders. At his watch party, he said he felt God had called him into the race, and he promised to keep talking to residents as the runoff heats up. On the city council side, two seats were also on the ballot. Laura Rummel, the incumbent in Place 5, cruised to another term with two-thirds of the vote. Brittany Colberg, who works in real-estate escrow, won Place 6 with nearly 58%. She says her goal is to focus on families and neighborhoods now that the election is over.