A photo illustration shows Frisco mayoral candidates Mark Hill (left) and Rod Vilhauer (right) on April 16, 2026. Hill, a former Frisco ISD board trustee and Vilhauer, a retired construction business owner will face off in a June 13 runoff.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Frisco’s mayoral election is headed to a runoff as none of the four candidates secured more than 50% of the vote in Saturday’s election.
Attorney and former Frisco ISD board trustee Mark Hill will face retired construction business owner Rod Vilhauer June 13. Residents who are not already registered to vote must do so by May 7 in order to vote in the runoff.
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Frisco mayoral candidate Mark Hill, center, poses for a photo with his supporters during his election night party at the Frisco Bar & Grill, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Frisco.
Chitose Suzuki/The Dallas Morning News
Hill finished in first place with about 34% of the vote while Vilhauer came in second with about 31%. The candidates came out ahead of two former City Council members who were also on the ballot to succeed incumbent Mayor Jeff Cheney who was term-limited after nine years in office. The city’s population has grown by about 40% since the last time residents had an opportunity to weigh in on an open seat for mayor in 2017.
Turnout in Saturday’s election broke city records. In the mayoral race, 25,128 voters cast a ballot, which represents 17.91% of registered voters in the city. Turnout in a municipal election in Frisco has only crossed 15% once before when about 16.5% of voters cast ballots in 2023.
Frisco mayoral candidate Mark Hill, left, speaks during his election night party at the Frisco Bar & Grill, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Frisco.
Chitose Suzuki/The Dallas Morning News
At a watch party at The Frisco Bar & Grill, Hill wore a white T-shirt that read “Unite Frisco,” his campaign slogan, and thanked his family and his supporters. He praised his campaign team’s strategy to the crowd of attendees that included Cheney.
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“I put my business hat on and we went to work,” Hill said. “We have a lot of heart for this city and we knew we had a big fight on our hands.”
Throughout his campaign, Hill positioned himself as a leader with no political baggage when it comes to city politics, casting himself in opposition to his two opponents who had previously served on the City Council.
Hill spent about $208,000 on his campaign according to the most recent campaign finance reports, second to Vilhauer who spent around $276,000, the highest amount of the four mayoral candidates. Hill had been endorsed by former Frisco Mayor Mike Simpson.
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At an event with supporters at The Community Grill, Vilhauer’s voice shook with emotion as he thanked campaign volunteers.
“All of you …have worked your tails off,” Vilhauer said in a video of the celebration posted online. “It makes me emotional that I could literally come out of nowhere and step into this call.”
Frisco mayoral candidate Rod Vilhauer visited with a constituent before leaving the Frisco Chamber’s Candidate Forum at Grace Church in Frisco, April 16, 2026. The chamber hosted the candidate forum for mayor, city council and school board candidates.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
At a campaign event earlier in the race, Vilhauer told attendees that he probably had the lowest name recognition of his three opponents since they had all run for local office in recent years. Vilhauer is new to politics but has lived in Frisco since 1986 and served on the city’s planning and zoning commission in the 1990s.
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As the race progressed Vilhauer made waves online for statements he made about South Asian immigrants and his opposition to what he described as the spread of Shariah in Frisco. He won endorsements from Republican state representatives and the Denton County GOP.
Frisco mayoral candidate Rod Vilhauer (right) responds to a question from the moderator during the Frisco Chamber’s Candidate Forum at Grace Church in Frisco, April 16, 2026. Fellow candidate Shona Sowell is pictured on the left. The chamber hosted the candidate forum for mayor, city council and school board candidates.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
At Saturday night’s event, Vilhauer said God had called him into the race as his supporters applauded and shouted “Amen.” He said his team would keep working to reach out to Frisco residents.
“I am great with a runoff,” Vilhauer said. “Mr. Hill and whatever that represents, I don’t know but … we’re going to bring the truth and deal with what is right everyday.”
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Frisco City Council, Place 5 candidate Laura Rummel (incumbent) responds to a moderator’s question during the Frisco Chamber’s Candidate Forum at Grace Church in Frisco, April 16, 2026. The chamber hosted the candidate forum for mayor, city council and school board candidates.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Two seats on the City Council were also on the ballot. The results of those elections will be canvassed on May 12.
Laura Rummel, incumbent City Council member representing Place 5 is headed for a second term. She won against two challengers with about 66% of the vote.
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“I am so grateful to Frisco voters for sending me back to Council for another 3 years,” Rummel wrote on Facebook. “Even if you didn’t vote for me, I am here to represent you.”
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Frisco City Council, Place 6 candidate Brittany Colberg responds to a moderator’s question during the Frisco Chamber’s Candidate Forum at Grace Church in Frisco, April 16, 2026. The chamber hosted the candidate forum for mayor, city council and school board candidates.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Brittany Colberg, who has served on the city’s planning and zoning commission since 2018, beat three opponents in the race for Place 6, a council seat which was open because incumbent Brian Livingston is term-limited. Colberg, an escrow officer, won with nearly 57% of the vote.
“This campaign’s just been about bringing our community together … and focusing on what matters most to our families and neighborhoods,” Colberg told The Dallas Morning News. “I’m excited to get to work.”