Frisco
Unofficial election results show that Mark Hill has prevailed in the runoff election for Frisco mayor that garnered thousands of dollars in spending and donations. The two candidates' views about this Collin County city's Muslim population featured prominently in their campaigns.
Hill got about 58% of the vote, defeating his opponent Villhauer, who received about 42%.
The mayoral runoff in Frisco has faced division over Vilhauer’s comments about Frisco’s growing Muslim population.
At a Frisco Chamber of Commerce forum last month, Vilhauer expressed his support the Indian community in Frisco, which has also faced backlash over unfounded claims of H-1B visa fraud. But he said he doesn’t support the Muslim community.
“When it comes to people of Sharia that govern themselves, they are not welcome here,” he said. “I will never welcome them here. We're going to fight that.”
Sharia Law is a religious code in the Islamic faith that isn’t enforceable in the U.S. Audience members at the candidate forum erupted in applause in response to Vilhauer’s statements. And others applauded when his opponent condemned the discourse about Frisco’s Muslim population.
“If you're a family looking to move from anywhere in the state, Dallas, anywhere in the country, say New Jersey, Boston, San Francisco, or anywhere in the world, and you see some of the rhetoric going on these days, you're not coming to Frisco, Texas,” Hill said.
The city council canceled public input for non-agenda items at meetings after hours of testimony at a recent meeting where many people testified against building a new mosque, Jain temple and Hindu temple. Several commenters who were against the mosque said they support Vilhauer for mayor.
Jeff Cheney, the outgoing mayor, said in a Facebook post most of the commenters who are causing disturbances aren’t local to Frisco.
“Most of the disrupters do not live in Frisco and many not even in the state,” Cheney said. “They have not been following our decorum rules and many cases their comments had nothing to do with city business or things we have no control over.”
Princeton
Princeton voters appear to have elected Jaisen Rutledge to the City Council Place 4 seat in Saturday’s runoff election according to unofficial election results.
Rutledge, the chair of the city’s home rule charter committee, got about 54% of the vote, according to preliminary election results. Goria got about 46% of the vote.
Transparency was a common theme in the candidates’ campaigns, including Rutledge. He said on his campaign Facebook page he’d publish contracts, budgets, development agreements and project timelines in a searchable format online and publish explanations for his votes as a council member.
“Residents deserve access, clarity, and honest communication about how decisions are made and why,” Rutledge said.
Got a tip? Email Caroline Love at clove@kera.org.
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