The presidential race has been fraught with mudslinging and division — and it’s trickling down to a city council race in Princeton, once a small town in Collin County that’s in the midst of a population boom.
The threat of political violence is a concern throughout Texas. Dallas police officers recently racked up 2,300 hours in overtime preparing for possible unrest after the election. A man wearing a Trump hat was arrested in Bexar County last week for assaulting an election worker. And David Kleiber recently resigned from his Princeton City Council seat after he made a controversial Facebook comment about shooting liberals.
Kleiber didn’t respond to KERA’s request for comment via phone or email before this article was published. He apologized for his remarks in a public Facebook group, The Original Princeton TX Cares.
“I realize that the content of the post was inappropriate, poorly considered, and did not reflect the values and respect that I hold for our community,” he wrote.
Terrance Johnson, who’s running to unseat Kleiber, said his comment politicized the race.
“It's supposed to be nonpartisan, but he's joking about shooting liberals,” Johnson said. “He's also the council member for those people as well, so why would he even joke about that?”
The Collin County Republican Party rescinded its endorsement of Kleiber because of his Facebook comment. He is still on the ballot for reelection.
Shelby Williams, the Collin County GOP Party Chair, said he’s concerned about the political discourse in the country leading to violence — something Williams said he wants to avoid.
“As a free society, we should always be prepared to do that as a last extreme,” he said. “We should exhaust all options before and unless it comes to that.”
Princeton is in Collin County, which is known for being the home base of conservatives like Attorney General Ken Paxton. But the county is diversifying as it grows, and Democrats say that diversity is to their benefit. Rep. Mihaela Plesa was the first Democrat elected to the statehouse from the region when she won in 2022.
Texas House District 89 includes part of Princeton. Rep. Candy Noble, a Republican, has held the seat for four terms. Darrel Evans, who’s running against Noble, said some people in the district are scared to admit they’re Democrats.
“They’re afraid to put signs out,” Evans said. “I’ve had my signs destroyed and taken down.”
Johnson, who’s running as an Independent, said the population growth in Princeton has led to a change in political dynamics. Princeton is the third-fastest growing city in the country, according to the U.S. Census.
“A lot of older locals have noticed a shift,” he said.
Before, Johnson said it was impossible for candidates that weren’t conservative to win in Princeton. But as the population grows, moderates, independents and even Democrats are calling Princeton home.
Williams said the Collin County GOP needs to take a more active role in local elections. He’s a current Plano City Council member. And he said the way to bring people into the Republican Party is to lead with respect and civility.
“When you approach a discussion or even a question with an adversarial stance from the get-go, then you don't truly hear what somebody else is saying,” Williams said.
Got a tip? Email Caroline Love at clove@kera.org.
Caroline Love is a Report For America corps member for KERA News.
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