Shelby Williams, left, and Julie Holmer, right, speak at a Collin County Commissioners Court candidate forum hosted by the Plano Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in Plano, Texas. The two former Plano City Council members are competing for the Precinct 4 seat in the November election.
Steve Hamm
Shelby Williams and Julie Holmer once shared a dais as Plano City Council members.
Now the two are competing from different political parties for a seat on the Collin County Commissioners Court in a historically Republican area where Democrats have made recent gains.
Event moderator Plano Councilmember Shun Thomas, right, listens to a response from Shelby Williams during a forum hosted by the Plano Chamber of Commerce to allow former Plano City Council members Julie Holmer and Williams an opportunity to speak before a group of concerned voters as both are candidates for a seat on the Collin County Commissioners Court in the upcoming election in November. The speaking forum was open to the public and was held at 5400 Independence Parkway in Plano on October 7, 2026.
Steve Hamm/The Dallas Morning News
Williams, the county’s former GOP chair and a business consultant, and Holmer, a Democrat and small business owner, both resigned from their posts on Plano City Council last year to pursue the Precinct 4 seat.
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Commissioner Duncan Webb is not running for reelection in the precinct, which covers the southwest portion of Collin County and includes parts of Plano and Allen.
Related: Collin County puts $817.5 million in roads, courts and jail projects to voters
The court is made up of four commissioners and the county judge, Chris Hill. Commissioners on the court have authority over the county’s administrative services, including public works, which maintains and builds county roads; healthcare services; facilities; and the county’s budget.
At a forum hosted Wednesday by the Plano Chamber of Commerce, the two candidates outlined their priorities for shepherding the county through continued population growth. Collin County added nearly 43,000 people between 2024 and 2025, the second most of any county in America, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Both candidates laid out similar concerns about infrastructure strains.
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“The county Commissioners Court cannot unilaterally address water and energy infrastructure or countywide roads,” Williams said. “But by leveraging the proper relationships and getting the right people to the table, we can.”
Attendees at the Plano Chamber of Commerce candidate forum listen to comments from Julie Holmer and Shelby Williams as the two compete for a seat on the Collin County Commissioners Court in the November election on October 7, 2026, in Plano.
Steve Hamm/The Dallas Morning News
Both candidates discussed Dallas Area Rapid Transit and regional needs for increased public transportation. Plano became the first city to call an election to leave the public transportation agency last year but later called off the vote after the parties came to an agreement.
Williams and Holmer supported reevaluating the city’s membership in DART. Holmer said if elected to the Commissioners Court, she’d look for regional solutions to transportation issues, like heavy traffic and poor access in rural areas.
“It’s super important that as a county we are not functioning in a silo,” Holmer said. “We need to also be looking at what is best for the whole region, not just Collin County.”
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Leaders should seek the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars, Williams said, not just seek to spend as little as possible.
“Responsible government entails a certain level of overhead,” he said.
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Holmer emphasized the need for expanded county facilities, including the courthouse, elections and records departments — “they’re busting at the seams,” she said. She also said the county needs to secure land for roads.
Holmer’s candidacy seeks to break up the fully Republican court. Democrats’ efforts have gained momentum in the county in recent years.
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Thousands gathered for protests against a Republican administration across Collin County in 2025. The population has grown in size and diversity. Just four years ago, voters in Plano and Allen elected state Rep. Mihaela Plesa, the first Democrat in almost 30 years to win a Collin County Texas House seat.
Plano resident Jim Mihalik said the forum solidified his choice to vote for Williams in November. He disagreed with Holmer’s rationale for prioritizing county facilities and worried emphasizing road construction could hurt businesses.
Attendee Carole Greisdorf plans to vote for Holmer. She said the court “really needs different perspectives and different voices” and believes Holmer is more equipped to bring people together.
Commissioners serve staggered four-year terms with no term limits. Early voting begins Oct. 19 and Election Day is Nov. 3.
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