Denton County polling locations closed at 7 p.m. (Liesbeth Powers/Community Impact Newspaper)
Update March 3, 11:08 p.m.: Ryan Williams won the Republican nomination for Denton County commissioner Precinct 1 against incumbent Hugh Coleman, according to unofficial election results with all 58 precincts reporting.
The victory was a close one—with Williams receiving 50.66% of the votes while Coleman garnered 49.34%. Coleman has served as the Denton County commissioner for Precinct 1 for the past 12 years.
Incumbent Denton County Sherriff Tracy Murphree won the Republican primary by a significant margin against two challengers, Dugan Broomfield and Bryan “Wilkie” Wilkinson, according to unofficial election results with all 185 precincts reporting.
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March 3, 7:33 p.m.: Incumbent Denton County Commissioner Hugh Coleman is in the lead for the Precinct 1 election in the March 3 Republican primary, according to unofficial election results March 3.
Coleman, who first took office in 2009, has a slight lead over his opponent, Ryan Williams.
Before Coleman was a county commissioner, he served as the assistant district attorney and counsel for the Denton County Sheriff's Office. He currently serves as an ex-officio board member of the Denton Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Government Affairs Committee for the Frisco Chamber of Commerce.
“The reason I’m running for re-election is I still have a desire to serve,” Coleman told
Community Impact Newspaper. “I have a desire for public service. I would like to accomplish an additional $5,000 homestead exemption in the upcoming budget, lower the tax rate, and improve mobility and transportation in the region through a number of projects.”
Williams, who spent the last 17 years as a reserve police officer, stated on his website that, if elected, he would fight for lower taxes, make public safety a priority and advocate for government transparency.
Williams declined to comment for this story.
Whichever candidate wins the primary will face Democrat Sandy Swan in the general election. Swan is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Swan said she believes she could help Denton County prepare for its projected population growth through strategic planning, and she wants to see the commissioners court engage the community more.
“I believe I have the skills to help guide the county strategically as the population grows rapidly,” Swan said.
Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphree is facing two challengers in the Republican primary. According to unofficial election results, Murphree is in the lead by a wide margin, while his opponents, Dugan Broomfield and Bryan “Wilkie” Wilkinson trail behind.
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