Damm: Frisco mayor’s race brings angry voices from as far away as Florida

The Frisco I live in is not the hellscape described in some circles. Yet, current politics are making my town less friendly and attracting divisive voices from far-flung places.

A lot has changed since my family arrived in 2002, pioneers all the way from Carrollton. We’re now a community of almost 250,000 people, with the growing pains to match. 

We’re all irritated by road construction, even though we know that growth requires expanded infrastructure. The demographics have shifted, making some residents uncomfortable and even angry, though no one has encroached on my ability to work, worship, volunteer, vote or otherwise interact in our community. 

Frisco remains a safe city with excellent schools and public services. Yet if you view the city through the lens of some social media personalities, politicians and even a religious leader, you’d think we’re living on a holy war battleground, on the precipice of the downfall of democracy, on the front row of the decline of Western civilization.

Our community, long held up as an ideal suburb of the 21st century, was thrust into the national spotlight a year ago, in the aftermath of the tragic stabbing death of a student at a high school track meet. People all over the country took sides, often based on race. 

And this year, we are once again part of a bigger conversation, this time related to Indian Americans, Muslims and H-1B visas. Adding fuel to the fire is a contentious runoff for mayor.

Frisco voters were split early this month, not surprising given that four candidates ran for the seat being vacated by Mayor Jeff Cheney, who has reached his term limit. Rod Vilhauer and Mark Hill are on the June 13 runoff ballot, with early voting June 1-9. 

Vilhauer, a Frisco resident since 1986, has positioned himself as a political outsider, though he served on the Planning and Zoning Commission in the 1990s. 

Early in the campaign, his vitriolic rhetoric toward Indian Americans and Muslims employed imagery of rats and terrorism. He walked back comments about Hindu-Americans before the general election, and just last week, he backpedaled further.

“I don’t care your race, your creed, your religion. If you are here in Frisco, in Texas, in America, and you love our Constitution … and you are here for the American dream … I support you 100%,” he said in a video posted Thursday. “I’m not here to attack you, but I’m here to unite this city.”

The call for unity is new for Vilhauer in this race. Hill, who touts experience on the Frisco ISD school board, has long campaigned on the promise to unite Frisco.

I attended Hill’s final school board meeting on May 11. The meeting started with celebrations — large groups of students who have excelled at the state level in soccer and golf, visual arts and theater, civics and ROTC. Seniors who have enlisted in the armed services or have been appointed to military academies received U.S. flags.  

The scene reminded me why I continue to embrace Frisco, even with its growing pains and friction points. We are a community of talented, hard-working, ambitious families and leaders. Most of the time, in real life, there is little animosity. 

After fellow trustees offered memories of their time together, Hill fought back tears as he reflected on the past three years. “It’s this district that attracts people to this city almost all the time. It’s the reason so many good parents move here … good educators work here,” he said. 

While there were plenty of warm and fuzzy feelings at the administration building that night, there’s less love at City Hall these days, just five miles away. 

Many residents say they’re tired of established city leaders like Cheney. Some are frustrated with big projects we didn’t vote on, such as the Universal Kids Resort, scheduled to open later this year. Some are angered by what we don’t have, such as a city animal shelter. 

Others don’t want additional temples or mosques built in city limits. Social media creator Kaylee Campbell, who doesn’t live here but frequently posts videos about Frisco politics, wrote that she “will do everything in [her] power to make sure hundreds of people show up” for the Tuesday City Council meeting, at which members considered the development of a Hindu temple, a Jain temple and a mosque.

Every seat in the chambers was filled Tuesday night, and dozens of people had to stand. There were definitely people from outside Frisco, including Edward “Jake” Lang from Florida, a pardoned Jan. 6, 2021, rioter who stirs up trouble all over the country. I attempted to ask him questions about his interest in Frisco. He refused, saying I wouldn’t “tell the truth” while also spewing a string of profanities directed at me and the media in general.

When Lang later spoke before council members, he slung some of those same curse words, alluded to violence against the council and mosques and eventually was escorted out of the room by police officers. 

Most others didn’t resort to obscenities, but many passionately made clear that they neither support a new mosque nor tolerate Muslims. One speaker put it plainly: “Islam is not welcome here.” 

Those speakers — at least those who live in Frisco — seem poised to choose Vilhauer in the runoff. He received 31.4% of the votes on May 2, compared to Hill’s 34.65%. What remains uncertain is which candidate will attract voters who favored opponents John Keating (12.89%) or Shona Sowell (21.07%) — or if they’ll vote at all. 

One group that likely will show up: Muslim voters. Community activist Nadeem Zaman told me that 1,548 Muslim voters (out of 7,166 registered Muslim voters) cast ballots in the May 2 election. He’s mobilizing the same group for the runoff, working to make sure hate “doesn’t take root in this community.”

Voters had the chance to listen to both Vilhauer and Hill at a candidate forum sponsored by the Frisco Chamber of Commerce on Monday night. About 500 people attended, the majority supporting Vilhauer. 

A contingent of the men’s ministry from Vilhauer’s church, many wearing black T-shirts screenprinted with the word “warrior” and crosses fashioned as swords, lined up from the street to the venue’s entrance to greet their candidate with applause, cheers and chants. 

That crowd set the tone for the rest of the night, making the forum feel more like a rally. They were loud and proud when he spoke in favor of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and against Shariah. They cheered when he said that Frisco public schools need help to “get the woke out” and “get the trans out.”

He said that everyone, including Muslims, has the right to worship in Frisco but also warned the city of the “Sharia folks.” 

“If you [Frisco] folks don’t wake up, we’re gonna have a battle on our hands. They have come to destroy us,” Vilhauer said. Those words received sustained applause.

Vilhauer and Hill clashed throughout the event, trading barbs about business experience or lack thereof, readiness for the job, budgets and budget deficits. But those matters got a more muted response. 

No matter who wins June 13, Frisco will continue to draw attention — some of it invited. The city hosts the Swedish Men’s National Team for the FIFA World Cup this summer and the 2027 PGA Championship next May. Which leader do voters want out front for these high-profile events? The answer depends on their satisfaction with the city as it is today and possibly nostalgia for the city before so much growth and diversity.

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