Early voting kicks off Monday in the last lap of Frisco’s mayoral election.
Frisco residents will elect a new mayor for the first time since 2017 because incumbent Mayor Jeff Cheney, who served for nine years, is term-limited. In that time, the affluent suburb’s population has grown by about 40% and has attracted internationally recognized projects such as the Universal Kids Resort and the headquarters of the PGA of America.
Election Day is Saturday, June 13 and early voting runs from June 1 to June 9. Voters will choose between retired business owner Rod Vilhauer and former Frisco ISD board trustee Mark Hill. Vilhauer and Hill, who have never served on the City Council, beat two former council members in the May 2 election to advance to the runoff. Nearly 18% of 140,271 registered voters cast a ballot in the first round, record turnout for a city election in Frisco.
Vilhauer has said his previous experience as co-owner of a construction company makes him best suited to lead the city’s growth, reduce road work delays and address traffic. Hill, an attorney who has served on the board of the city’s economic development corporation, has said he brings expertise in attracting large corporations to Frisco, which would grow the city’s tax base.
The next mayor, who will be elected to a three-year term, will make important decisions concerning the last phase of Frisco’s growth. More than 80% of land in the city is either under development or has already been set aside for a certain purpose, such as parks or retail.
The city’s new leader will also have to contend with discord surrounding racial and religious diversity in the city. In recent months, activists and residents have expressed their views on the rising Indian and Muslim populations in Frisco at heated City Council meetings. About a third of Frisco’s population is Asian.
Vilhauer has come under fire for making disparaging comments about South Asian immigrants and Muslims. He has since apologized for his remarks about immigrants but doubled down on a promise to stop the spread of Islamic influence in Frisco. Hill said he has seen the benefits of diversity in Frisco when serving on the school board and previously called his Indian neighbors an “integral part of the community.”
Frisco voters can cast a ballot at eight polling places in the city during early voting. The city straddles Collin and Denton counties and there are four voting centers in each county. Voters can only cast a ballot at a polling center in the county where they reside.
Early voting locations for the runoff are the same as during the May 2 election, except for Collin College’s Frisco campus, which is closed for construction. Instead, voters can cast a ballot at Shawnee Trail Elementary School.
Here are the hours for polls during early voting and election day:
Here are the addresses of the eight polling places in Frisco:
On election day, residents of Collin County can vote at any location in the county, but Denton County residents must vote at a polling site assigned to their precinct. Registered voters can find their assigned precinct on Denton County’s website.