{"id":190387,"date":"2026-03-04T17:40:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T17:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/190387\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T17:40:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T17:40:11","slug":"where-primary-races-in-collin-county-stood-late-tuesday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/190387\/","title":{"rendered":"Where primary races in Collin County stood late Tuesday"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Here&#8217;s where primary races in Collin County stood late Tuesday, with 60 of 86 vote centers reporting:<\/p>\n<p>County RacesCollin County JudgeRepublican Primary<\/p>\n<p>Collin County Judge <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chrishill.us\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Chris Hill<\/a> had a significant lead over his opponent late Tuesday. He&#8217;d picked up about 79% of the vote. His primary challenger, Rick Grady, received ab out 21%.<\/p>\n<p>Hill was first elected County Judge in 2018. Before that, he was the Precinct 3 county commissioner.<\/p>\n<p>Hill is known for being conservative \u2014 he voted against the property tax rate for the county multiple years in a row, citing the burden on taxpayers. Collin County has mostly maintained its property tax rate, but appraisal values have gone up, increasing many homeowners\u2019 property tax bills.<\/p>\n<p>At a Collin County Conservative Republicans candidate forum ahead of the election, the county judge warned property taxes in the county will likely go up again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd if we do, I&#8217;m going to vote no,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Hill also discussed the proposed housing development formerly known as EPIC City, which has faced controversy. The 402-acre project, now known as The Meadow, is associated with a local mosque, the East Plano Islamic Center, and would include a new mosque and more than 1,000 single and multi-family homes.<\/p>\n<p>Top state officials, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, have accused the development of violating Fair Housing laws by excluding non-Muslims, something the developer, Community Capital Partners, has denied.<\/p>\n<p>Hill said building a development exclusive to a specific community doesn\u2019t align with Collin County\u2019s values.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is about a group of folks who very specifically said we want to build an enclave unto ourselves,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to design it in a way that violates the law to keep anyone else out. That goes against the very spirit, and the very grain and the very laws of our community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Department of Justice ended its probe of the project and potential religious discrimination <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keranews.org\/news\/2025-06-25\/department-justice-ends-federal-probe-epic-city-mosque\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">in June<\/a>, saying the developer planned to revise and develop marketing materials that affirm that all are welcome in the community.<\/p>\n<p>The developer has accused Hill of anti-Muslim bias and politicizing the project.<\/p>\n<p>Grady is a former Plano city council member. He had criticized Hill\u2019s vote on previous budgets and tax rates at a Collin County Conservative Republicans forum ahead of the election, calling it poor management.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#8217;t wait for everyone to vote yes on the budget and then vote no,\u201d he said. \u201cI don&#8217;t do that, because it&#8217;s my budget. It&#8217;s my responsibility. Leadership means that you take the leadership role and that responsibility stops at the top.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hill criticized Grady for his support of the East Plano Islamic Center, the Plano mosque behind the proposed housing development The Meadow, formerly known as EPIC City. Top state officials, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, have accused the development of violating Fair Housing laws by excluding non-Muslims, something the developer, Community Capital Partners, has denied.<\/p>\n<p>Hill pointed out at the Conservative Republicans candidate forum that Grady attended an event at EPIC instead of the Collin County Conservative Republican Christmas dinner last December.<\/p>\n<p>Grady, a member of the Collin County Coalition on Homelessness, said he went to speak about helping people experiencing homelessness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#8217;ve spent time in the street, in the gutter, working with these people to make a better life for them,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd if that&#8217;s what it takes is to go to an institution that is willing to open their doors so that people do not freeze on the pavement like they did two years ago, I will absolutely do that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Primary<\/p>\n<p>John R. \u201cBuster\u201d Brown ran unopposed in the Collin County Judge Democratic primary election.<\/p>\n<p>Brown is an attorney in Plano, according to the Texas State Bar <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texasbar.com\/AM\/Template.cfm?Section=Find_A_Lawyer&amp;template=\/Customsource\/MemberDirectory\/MemberDirectoryDetail.cfm&amp;ContactID=161545\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">website<\/a>. His practice areas include business, consumer, creditor-debtor, environmental, ethics and malpractice law.<\/p>\n<p>Commissioner Precinct 2Republican Primary<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.michaelslaughter.com\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Michael Slaughter<\/a> ran unopposed in the Republican primary for this seat after the incumbent, Cheryl Williams, didn\u2019t run for another term. Slaughter was previously elected to the Parker City Council, where he was mayor pro-tem, and served as a planning and zoning commissioner in Parker.<\/p>\n<p>At the Conservative Republican candidate forum, Slaughter said he wants to make the budget process for Collin County more collaborative. The county commissioners and the Sheriff have had tension during previous budget talks over the Sheriff\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur county is growing, and what I want to do is take this from an adversarial aspect every August to a long drawn-out conversation that we have all year long, so the elected officials work together, and we can come up to provide the services that the residents of Collin County deserve,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Slaughter said the county needs to have a long-term infrastructure plan for growth to ensure the county is prepared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt would be like getting on a bus and having no idea where the end destination is,\u201d he said. \u201cI don&#8217;t ever advise that. You probably need to know in the beginning, and everybody should know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Primary<\/p>\n<p>No Democrats filed to run for Precinct 2 commissioner.<\/p>\n<p>Commissioner Precinct 4Republican Primary<\/p>\n<p>Shelby Williams had a very narrow lead over  Woody Huffines in the Republican primary Precinct 4 commissioner race. Williams had almost 50% of the votes, and Huffines had about 49%. <\/p>\n<p> Duncan Webb, the Republican incumbent, didn\u2019t run for another term.<\/p>\n<p>Collin County is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation. Williams, who stepped down from his Plano city council seat to run for county commissioner, said at the Conservative Republicans\u2019 candidate forum the county needs to prepare its infrastructure for future growth to prevent further strain on resources.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe&#8217;re going more than double in size in the next few decades,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have to prepare for all those people before they get here, not after they&#8217;re here and try to retrofit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The way to do that without raising property taxes, Williams said, is with bond funds. Since bonds are still funded by taxpayers, he said elected officials need to ensure they get the maximum value for their communities.<\/p>\n<p>The Precinct 4 Commissioner seat encompasses a large portion of Plano. Democrat Julie Holmer served with Williams on city council. Democrats see the race as a potential flip \u2013 the precinct includes Texas House District 70, Democratic Rep. Mihaela Plesa\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n<p>Williams, who previously served as the Collin County GOP Party chair, said at the Conservative Republicans candidate forum that he has experience bringing people into the Republican fold, making him the ideal candidate for the commissioner race.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI ran for GOP chair on the platform of, and I quote, reaching the countless Republicans who don&#8217;t yet know they&#8217;re Republican,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Huffines pointed out at the Conservative Republicans\u2019 candidate forum that more residents in Collin County increase the taxbase, bringing in more money. He also said he would prioritize being fiscally conservative to avoid raising property taxes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow can we use the money that we have effectively, string every bit of it out that we can before we default to the idea that we are going to raise to get to where we want to go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The Precinct 4 Commissioner seat encompasses a large portion of Plano, where Holmer served on city council. <br \/>Huffines said keeping the seat red will require grassroots efforts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve got to get off our keisters,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is not a matter of winning by default or winning by just saying you&#8217;re Republican. Those days are gone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Primary<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/julieforcommissioner.com\/about\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Julie Holmer<\/a>, who gave up her seat on the Plano City Council to run for Collin County Precinct four commissioner, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for the seat.<\/p>\n<p>A small business owner and marketing professional, Holmer said at a recent Collin County League of Women Voters candidate forum the region\u2019s growth calls for collaboration among local governments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to make sure we&#8217;re not duplicating efforts with our cities so that we can maximize our tax dollars at the city level and at the county level as well,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>The county also needs to look at services that aren\u2019t being offered by the county or cities, Holmer said. Collin County doesn\u2019t have a 24-hour emergency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keranews.org\/news\/2023-02-01\/collin-county-plano-emergency-homeless-shelter-point-in-time-count\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">homeless shelter<\/a> for the general population or a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keranews.org\/news\/2023-10-24\/collin-county-has-no-public-hospital-to-serve-uninsured-residents-faith-groups-are-filling-the-gap\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">public hospital<\/a> for the county\u2019s uninsured and underinsured residents.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s a very large county to not have any kind of health care or county hospital,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd so, I think a lot of other counties may look to Collin County and ask the same question about us, is what are we doing about serving our own community when we&#8217;ve got other communities that are taking care of their indigent population with a county hospital, which we don&#8217;t have.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some Collin County residents can see a doctor through the county\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.collincountytx.gov\/Services\/Health-Care-Services\/indigent-health\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">\u00a0indigent care program<\/a>. They have to be at 100% of or below the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/aspe.hhs.gov\/topics\/poverty-economic-mobility\/poverty-guidelines\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">federal poverty level<\/a>\u00a0to qualify, which is $15,960 annually for individuals.<\/p>\n<p>State House RacesTexas House District 33Republican Primary<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Katrina Pierson ran unopposed in the GOP primary for this seat. She was first elected in 2024, defeating then-incumbent Justin Holland in a GOP primary runoff.<\/p>\n<p>Holland was one of the Republicans who voted against education savings accounts, what opponents refer to as school vouchers, during the 2023 legislative session, a top priority for Abbott.<\/p>\n<p>Abbott targeted Republicans who voted against what he calls \u201cschool choice\u201d during primary races in 2024, endorsing their opponents. He endorsed Pierson in the primary runoff election that year.<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Primary<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lopezfortxhd33.com\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Orlando Lopez<\/a> ran unopposed in the Democratic primary to run against Pierson in the general election.<\/p>\n<p>At a recent Collin County League of Women Voters candidate forum, Lopez emphasized his support for public education, saying he doesn\u2019t support school vouchers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of low-income people that may want to take advantage of these vouchers end up not being able to do so mostly because of the remaining balance that they still cannot afford,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, in my opinion, I believe the state should be focusing on rerouting those dollars back to our public schools.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Public schools in Texas get most of their funding from local property taxes. Abbott recently proposed allowing voters to decide on a constitutional amendment that would eliminate school property taxes. At the candidate forum, Lopez said public schools shouldn\u2019t be responsible for providing property tax relief.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTexas has its fair share of wealthy, and I think it&#8217;s about time that we go back and have a lot of these billionaires really pay their fair share in taxes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Texas House District 61Republican Primary<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Keresa Richardson had a significant lead over challenger Frederick Frazier, a former state representative. <\/p>\n<p>Richardson had picked up ab out 68% of the vote and Frazier had about 32%.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/keresafortexas.com\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Richardson<\/a> first defeated Frazier in the GOP primary runoff in 2024. Frazier was elected to the seat in 2022. He defeated Paul Chabot in the Republican primary th at year, who alleged that Frazier impersonated a McKinney city code enforcement officer to have Chabot\u2019s campaign signs removed during the 2022 primary runoff. A Collin County district court judge\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/static.texastribune.org\/media\/files\/766ed857b98435d2a74d4feabbd90f9b\/Frederick%20Frazier%20Orders.pdf\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dismissed the charges<\/a>\u00a0against Frazier in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2024\/04\/26\/frederick-frazier-charges-dismissed-impersonating-public-servant-texas\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">April 2024<\/a>\u00a0and discharged him from the deferred adjudication plea he had accepted. Frazier is suing Chabot for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keranews.org\/news\/2025-08-06\/defamation-case-frederick-frazier-opponent-paul-chabot-collin-county\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">defamation.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Chabot created a political action committee called \u201cCollin County Citizens for Integrity\u201d in December 2023 to defeat Frazier in the 2024 primary according to court documents. Frazier\u2019s attorney sent Chabot a cease-and-desist letter on May 9, 2024, saying that Chabot had published statements claiming Frazier had been convicted of the charges against him and received a dishonorable discharge from the Dallas Police Department. Frazier had already appealed his discharge to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which changed it to a general discharge.<\/p>\n<p>The cease-and-desist letter told Chabot to retract and remove all materials containing defamatory statements according to court records. Frazier filed the defamation suit in June 2024 when Chabot didn\u2019t remove his statements from the website.<\/p>\n<p>Richardson and Frazier were both at the Collin County Conservative Republicans candidate forum, where they discussed property taxes. Texans pay some of the highest property taxes in the country. The legislature passed an increase in the homestead exemption, but Richardson said it\u2019s not enough.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn this last legislative session, we gave $51 billion back to try and buy down your property tax,\u201d she said. \u201cThat&#8217;s not sustainable. We can&#8217;t keep doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Abbott has released a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gregabbott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Empowering-Texas-Taxpayers.pdf\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">five-point plan<\/a> to overhaul the state\u2019s property tax system, including requiring that two-thirds of voters approve any property tax increase. Richardson said she supports the governor\u2019s plan.<\/p>\n<p>Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick has proposed lowering the age for homestead exemption for property taxes to provide more property tax relief, something Frazier pointed to as an option for property tax relief at the Conservative Republican candidate forum. But switching from property taxes to a consumption tax or sales tax, he said, wouldn\u2019t be sustainable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need make sure that what we&#8217;re funding is getting funded,\u201d he said. \u201cOur public schools are in major danger right now, and you&#8217;re seeing that. So, if you just eliminate a property tax, okay, how are you going to pay for those?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Primary<\/p>\n<p>Brittany Black appeared to have about a 10-point lead over challenger Jackie Bescherer in the Democratic primary for this Texas House seat. Black had received about 55 percent of the vote, and Bescherer about 45%. Black is a senior software engineer and business owner according to her website.<\/p>\n<p>Texas House District 61 includes parts of McKinney ISD, which had to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keranews.org\/news\/2025-11-06\/mckinney-isd-elementary-school-close\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">close three campuses<\/a> due to declining enrollment and budget woes. Black said at a Collin County League of Women Voter\u2019s candidate forum ahead of the election that the state\u2019s school voucher program are taking funds away from public schools at the Collin County League of Women voters candidate forum.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTexas is failing our kids for school funding and it&#8217;s time for accountability,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Black said education funds should be invested in teachers and students, not school vouchers. <\/p>\n<p>Bescherer is a Realtor and former Dallas police officer, according to her website.<\/p>\n<p>Texas House District 61 includes parts of McKinney ISD, which had to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keranews.org\/news\/2025-11-06\/mckinney-isd-elementary-school-close\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">close three campuses<\/a> due to declining enrollment and budget woes.<\/p>\n<p>Bescherer said during a Collin County League of Women Voters Candidate Forum that Texas spends less per student than the national average. Texas ranks 38th among other states in per-pupil spending according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/nces.ed.gov\/pubs2024\/2024144.pdf\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">2024 report<\/a> from the National Center for Education Statistics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGreg Abbott and his cronies down there, they set a per student, which we know this has been way too low,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are way at the bottom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Texas House District 66Republican Primary<\/p>\n<p>Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/mattshaheen.com\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Matt Shaheen<\/a> ran unopposed in the GOP primary for this seat. Shaheen has represented this statehouse district since 2015. Before that, he was a Collin County commissioner.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Shaheen authored and coauthored several bills in the 2025 legislative session, including a bill that increased the criminal penalty for election fraud that went into effect September 1. He also wrote the state\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kut.org\/texas\/2024-03-15\/pornhub-texas-disables-blocks-website-law\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">age verification law<\/a> that which requires pornographic websites to verify users\u2019 ages to protect minors from being exposed to sexually explicit material.<\/p>\n<p>Free speech advocates challenged the law in court, arguing it was vague and imposed burdens on adults\u2019 access to constitutionally protected expression. The Supreme Court upheld the law<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kut.org\/crime-justice\/2025-06-27\/supreme-court-sides-with-texas-age-verification-law-for-porn-sites\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> last year<\/a> in a 6-3 ruling that the law &#8220;only incidentally burdens the protected speech of adults.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Primary<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sandeepfortexas.com\/default.aspx\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Sandeep Srivastava<\/a> was the only Democrat on the ballot for Texas House District 66. <\/p>\n<p>Srivastava ran twice as a Democrat for Texas Congressional District 3, losing to Rep. Keith Self both times.<\/p>\n<p>The Dallas Morning News editorial board <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/opinion\/we-recommend\/2024\/10\/17\/we-recommend-in-the-race-for-texas-3rd-congressional-district\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">endorsed Srivastava<\/a> in the 2024 race, citing Self\u2019s stance on immigration and refusal to vote on the continuing resolution as reasons for supporting his challenger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is obstructionism at its worst,\u201d the board said. \u201cThe 3rd Congressional District needs a representative who will show up to legislate, not grandstand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When asked about immigration at the Collin County League of Women Voters candidate forum, Srivastava said the country needs immigration reform.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to prioritize the serious criminal threats,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have to see the due process and human treatment. The strong oversight and transparency and accountability should be there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Srivastava immigrated to the United States from India more than 20 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>Texas House District 67Republican Primary<\/p>\n<p>Republican Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/jeffleach.com\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Jeff Leach<\/a>, who has held this seat for seven terms, had racked up a significant lead over  challenger <a href=\"https:\/\/thorsenfortexas.com\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Matt Thorsen<\/a> in the GOP primary. Leach had about 64% of the vote to Thorsen&#8217;s 36%. <\/p>\n<p>In the last legislative session, Leach authored <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.texas.gov\/BillLookup\/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&amp;Bill=HB4076\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a bill<\/a> that prohibits organ transplant discrimination based on vaccination status. The bill became state law September 1. He was also the primary author on<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tpr.org\/podcast\/the-source\/2025-12-03\/new-texas-law-targets-abortion-pills-as-hb-7-takes-effect\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> House Bill 7<\/a>, which allows private citizens\u00a0to sue out-of-state providers of abortion pills for $100,000 or more. The bill went into effect December 4.<\/p>\n<p>Thorsen lives in Melissa and owns The Dallas Shutter Company, which sells shutters, shades and blinds according to his website. He lists endorsements from Allen West, the chair of the Dallas County GOP, and Matt Rinaldi, the former Texas GOP party chair, on his website.<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Primary<\/p>\n<p>Jordan Wheatley had about a 15-point lead over challenger Emeka Eluka in the Democratic primary race for the Texas House District 67 seat. Wheatley had about 58% of the vote late Tuesday, and Eluka had about 42%.<\/p>\n<p>Eluka announced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/reel\/1561381058491170\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">on Facebook<\/a> prior to the election that he is stepping back from campaigning to let Wheatley be the frontrunner.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe started this journey in 2024, and I started in December 2025, so he has a bigger name and more money than me,\u201d Eluka said. \u201cI trust he will do a better job and get can start getting ready for 2028.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wheatley is a 4th-grade teacher in South Dallas according to his website. He said at the Collin County League of Women Voters candidate forum that education is one of his top priorities.<\/p>\n<p>Now that private schools and charter schools are eligible for state funds under the education savings account program, standards for those institutions need to change, Wheatley said at a Collin County League of Women Voter\u2019s candidate forum.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey all need to be held to the same accountability that I am in my public school, which is super important if we are going to have transparency for our schools,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Texas House District 70Republican Primary<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.texansforflint.com\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">George Flint<\/a>, a former district judge, had a large lead over challengers  <a href=\"https:\/\/jackryangallagher.com\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Jack Ryan Gallagher<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/hewitt4house.com\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Michael Hewitt<\/a> in the Republican primary for this seat late Tuesday. Flint had about 57% of the vote, Gallagher about 20% and Hewitt had about 22%.<\/p>\n<p>If Flint holds that lead, he will face the incumbent, Democratic Rep. Mihaela Plesa, in the general election in November.<\/p>\n<p>Texas House District 70 includes parts of Plano ISD, which has operated at a budget deficit for years. School districts get most of their funding from local property taxes. Plano ISD is in an area with an abundance of property wealth, but it sends a large chunk of that back to the state. Through a process called recapture, the state takes funds from school districts who collect more property tax revenue than what the state allots for education and redistributes it to districts with less property wealth.<\/p>\n<p>At the Collin County Conservative Republican candidate forum Flint said he doesn\u2019t support the recapture system, also referred to as Robin Hood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s stealing from Plano and other school districts to fund other school districts that on the whole probably don&#8217;t need it,\u201d Flint said.<\/p>\n<p>He also expressed support for school choice, something Plesa opposed during the past legislative session.<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Primary<\/p>\n<p>Plesa, the first Democrat elected to the statehouse from Collin County in 30 years, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.<\/p>\n<p>She wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.texas.gov\/tlodocs\/89R\/billtext\/pdf\/HB00037F.pdf#navpanes=0\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Everly\u2019s Law<\/a>, which went into effect September 1, during the past legislative session. The law requires certain hospitals to provide perinatal bereavement care for families whose children have a prenatal diagnosis of a life-limiting condition.<\/p>\n<p>Plesa is known for supporting public schools. She <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keranews.org\/news\/2023-03-21\/plano-isd-runs-a-deficit-why-its-sending-millions-to-the-state\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">previously filed<\/a> legislation that would\u2019ve reformed the state\u2019s recapture school finance system. At the Collin County League of Women Voter\u2019s forum, she said the state needs to increase the amount it spends per student.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne dollar increase to the basic allotment is one dollar less to your properties taxes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>The state increased the basic allotment by $55 in the $8.5 billion school funding bill during the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kut.org\/politics\/2025-05-30\/texas-8-5b-school-funding-plan-is-headed-to-abbotts-desk-what-it-means-for-students-and-teachers-raises-teacher-pay-house-bill-2-hb2\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">last legislative session<\/a>. School finance experts and advocates say the basic allotment would need to increase by at least $1,100 to account for the spike in inflation since the last time the basic allotment was increased in 2019. The school funding package the legislature passed created new funding allotments that can only be used as directed in the bill.<\/p>\n<p>Texas House District 89Republican Primary<\/p>\n<p>Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/votecandynoble.com\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Candy Noble<\/a> was ahead over challengers Freddie America and Jeffrey Forrester in her reelection bid. Noble had received 52% of the vote. America had about 6% of the vote and Forrester had ab out 41%.<\/p>\n<p>Noble wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/capitol.texas.gov\/tlodocs\/89R\/billtext\/pdf\/HB04211F.pdf\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">House Bill 4211<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keranews.org\/government\/2025-09-13\/muslim-community-east-plano-islamic-center-mosque\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the law<\/a> that changes the Texas Fair Housing Act so exemptions that usually allow religious organizations to operate housing developments without violating the act don&#8217;t apply to developments like The Meadow, formerly known as EPIC City.<\/p>\n<p>The law also requires business entities entering into a residential arrangement to disclose to anyone buying land that they&#8217;re investing into the interest of the business, not the property. Anyone who wants to buy a lot in EPIC City has to purchase a share with Community Capital Partners, the corporate entity behind EPIC City, according to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/epicccp.com\/faqs\/#1715374254891-9dee5d4b-300a\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the project&#8217;s website.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>At a September press conference after Abbott signed the bill into law, Noble cited what she said were quotes from Community Capital Partners that highlighted the development\u2019s unlawfulness: investments in EPIC City are non-refundable, shares can&#8217;t be easily sold and sales will be limited only to those CCP believes \u201cwill contribute to the overall makeup of [the EPIC City] community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is certainly not the Texas way,\u201d Noble said. \u201cIn Texas, home ownership means something, and we want to protect that meaning for every Texan.\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Primary<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensforcarraway.com\/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPzEKpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFndDY0cHlyMVBacHV6U1VZc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvKL1s_WzvI66IItgXO4YOukxjCCRgdaoLbVXAPZsG3jf2jVnDkYhHQpfg5p_aem_YzYB4sRmorjzGTAbpxZU_Q\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Angie Carraway<\/a> ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for this Texas House seat.<br \/>Carraway has been a public school teacher for 14 years. She said at the Collin County League of Women Voters Candidate Forum the state needs to invest more in education.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur government currently has done nothing but try to undermine the system and pointe at us and say, look, it&#8217;s not working,\u201d Carraway said. \u201cThey&#8217;re expecting us to hit a home run with a toothpick. It&#8217;s ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The state expects local governments to make up the difference for school funding, she said. If the state increased its contribution to education, property taxes would go down, Carraway said.<\/p>\n<p>CongressCongressional District 3<\/p>\n<p>Congressional District 3 now covers less of Collin County after recent redistricting, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.capitol.texas.gov\/dataset\/6c8aed8d-c0e7-4520-b917-b10dcee44f67\/resource\/45397980-d803-4464-85b0-0742050af5d2\/download\/planc2308_map_report_package.pdf\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">covering 57%<\/a> of the region instead <a href=\"https:\/\/data.capitol.texas.gov\/dataset\/b806b39a-4bab-4103-a66a-9c99bcaba490\/resource\/b1e9f2a0-6885-4c41-b79a-a7e26f3244d8\/download\/planc2193_map_report_package.pdf\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">of 64% of Collin County and 86% of Hunt County.<\/a> The new map also includes all of Delta County, Franklin County, Hopkins County, Morris County and Titus County. It also covers 70% of Hunt County.<\/p>\n<p>Republican Primary<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/keithself.com\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Rep. Keith Self<\/a> picked up a significant lead over challenger Mark Newgent in the Republican primary. Self had about 82% of the vote in Collin County and Newgent had about 18%.<\/p>\n<p>Self, a military veteran, served as the Collin County Judge before he ran for Congress in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Pat Fallon from Texas Congressional District 4 and Self sent Plano ISD\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo?fbid=764049573238657&amp;set=pcb.764062393237375\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a letter<\/a>\u00a0earlier this year urging the district to address antisemitism. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating Plano ISD for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keranews.org\/education\/2025-08-28\/plano-isd-antisemitism-pro-palestinian-antiwar-protest\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">antisemitism<\/a> after teachers allegedly let students walk out to protest Israel\u2019s war in Gaza.<\/p>\n<p>At a town hall <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keranews.org\/government\/2025-07-29\/texas-congressman-keith-self-voter-town-hall\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">last July<\/a> in McKinney, Self said he would vote in favor of releasing files related to convicted sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t mind pushing back against the leadership,\u201d he said about some other Republican officials, \u201cbecause as I said, all of y\u2019all have been promised this for a long time. We\u2019ve got to make it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Primary<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.electevanhunt.com\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Evan Hunt<\/a> ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for this seat. He served in the military and retired as a U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel according to his website.<\/p>\n<p>Hunt, who now works in the defense and aerospace industry according to his campaign website, would prioritize affordable healthcare, including lowering prescription drug costs, if elected. Other priorities he lists on his campaign website include protecting Social Security benefits and veterans programs.<\/p>\n<p>Congressional District 4<\/p>\n<p>Previously, Texas Congressional District 4 covered 29% of Collin County and all of Rockwall County. Now, the <a href=\"https:\/\/data.capitol.texas.gov\/dataset\/6c8aed8d-c0e7-4520-b917-b10dcee44f67\/resource\/45397980-d803-4464-85b0-0742050af5d2\/download\/planc2308_map_report_package.pdf\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">district covers<\/a> 40% of Collin County, 10% of Denton County, 24% of Bowie County and all of Fannin County, Grayson County, Lamar County and Red River County. Rockwall County is now a part of Congressional District 32.<\/p>\n<p>Republican Primary<\/p>\n<p>With 60 of 84 precincts in Collin County reporting, Rep. Pat Fallon had received about 79% of the vote and Don Horn, his challenger, had about 21%.<\/p>\n<p>Before he was elected to Congress, Fallon served in the Texas House and the Texas Senate. He was also a member of the Frisco City Council. Fallon\u2019s campaign website lists endorsements from President Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz. <\/p>\n<p>Democratic Primary<\/p>\n<p>Jason Pearce and Andrew L. Rubell appeared to be running a close race in the Democratic primary for this Congressional seat in Collin County. Rubell had about 51% of the votes and Pearce had 49%.<\/p>\n<p>Rubell has a doctorate in educational leadership and learning according to his campaign website. His policy priorities include investing in small businesses, term limits in the U.S. House and public education according to his campaign website.<\/p>\n<p>At the Collin County League of Women Voters candidate forum, Rubell said the U.S. immigration system needs to be modernized to reduce backlogs and provide a pathway to citizenship.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe should treat immigrants with dignity and fairness, recognizing their contributions to our society, to our economy, and to our communities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Pearce, who was born in Plano, has a background in sales and finance according to his campaign website. He lists lowering the cost of living, affordable health care and common-sense gun safety as policy priorities on his campaign website.<\/p>\n<p>Pearce said the U.S. needs to create better pathways to citizenship for immigrants at the forum. He also said the country should abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mprnews.org\/story\/2026\/02\/01\/federal-agents-jesus-ochoa-raymundo-gutierrez-identified-alex-pretti-shooting\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">faced controversy<\/a> after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to unmask and defund and abolish ICE, bring them all before Congress and have them basically have to own up to the consequences of their actions,\u201d Pearce said. \u201cI think that we can rebuild a better program that does not result in having people gunned down in the street or pulled out of their home for no reason.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Congressional District 32<\/p>\n<p>Congressional District 32 now includes 7% of Collin County instead of 4%. Julie Johnson, the current representative, is running in Congressional District 33 after redistricting. The new Congressional District 32 also covers 18% of Dallas County.<\/p>\n<p>Republican Primary<\/p>\n<p>Several Republicans are running in Congressional District 32.  In Collin County, Jace Yarbrough led the pack with about 47% of the vote, followed by Ryan Binkley with about 19 %, Darrell Day with about 11% and Paul L. Bondar with about 9%. Aimee Carrasco, James Ussery, Abteen Vaziri, Monty Montanez and Gordon Heslop each got less than 5% of the votes. <\/p>\n<p>Democratic Primary<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danbarriosforcongress.com\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Dan Barrios<\/a>, a Richardson city council member had amassed a large lead in Collin County over military veteran<a href=\"https:\/\/www.anthonybridges.org\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Anthony Bridges<\/a> in the Democratic primary for this newly created North Texas Congressional seat. <\/p>\n<p>Barrios had about 69% of the votes in Collin County, to Bridges&#8217; 31%.<\/p>\n<p>Got a tip? Email Caroline Love at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.keranews.org\/news\/2026-03-04\/mailto:clove@kera.org\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">clove@kera.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pledgecart.org\/pledgecart3\/user\/home?campaign=C0CE8594-3E76-4F26-9658-F2E9C3C443CB&amp;source=75476&amp;utm_source=keranews&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=news\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">making a tax-deductible gift\u00a0<\/a>today.\u00a0Thank you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Here&#8217;s where primary races in Collin County stood late Tuesday, with 60 of 86 vote centers reporting: County&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":190388,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[160,162,161],"class_list":["post-190387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-plano","tag-plano","tag-plano-headlines","tag-plano-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=190387"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190387\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/190388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=190387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=190387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=190387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}