The Denton mayoral race is heading for a runoff with none of the four candidates receiving more than 50% of the votes needed to secure the seat.
In complete but unofficial results Saturday night, former Mayor Chris Watts led with 44.2% of the vote, followed by District 2 council member Brian Beck with 34%, Angela Brewer with 17.3% and Shannon Childs with 4.5%.
The runoff will be on June 13, and the Place 5 council seat will also be on the ballot.
Reached Saturday evening, Watts said that with four people in the race, there was a greater possibility that a runoff would occur. He said he was looking forward to a robust campaign and the opportunity for voters to chose to move the city forward.
Watts, who last served as a council member in 2024, has been meeting with voters outside of candidate forums, hosting town halls to hear from them and share his vision for Denton.
Chris Watts, a former mayor and council member, will be in a runoff to regain the mayor's seat on June 13.
Beck took a stronger stance about the upcoming runoff.
"This is about the soul of Denton and about money versus the people," Beck said. "Is this about the community or what I can get out of the community?"
Beck added that he couldn't be happier with the results unless he had won outright and that he was ready to hit the ground with all the team, bringing everyone together — including voters who voted for Brewer and Childs — and merging their visions to take across the finish line.
For the first time in 20 years, Beck said, Denton has a chance to have a mayor who actually "represents the people instead of the power.
"Because the people are the power of Denton," he said.
Brewer couldn't be reached for comment.
In a message to the Denton Record-Chronicle, Childs said she was "shocked and humbled" that she received "almost double the votes of money I spent!"
"I'm so impressed and excited that Denton is paying attention to the future that city leaders direct," she said, "and genuinely cannot wait to be an absolute menace to whoever is on the dais!"
The outgoing mayor, Gerard Hudspeth, is serving his third and final term in office after six years.
CHRISTIAN McPHATE can be reached at 940-220-4299 and cmcphate@dentonrc.com.
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