Updated 10:05 p.m., May 2
With all 220 precincts reporting, unofficial election results show Erica Garland earned 5,848 votes and 48.84%, and George Michael Ferrie received 5,741 votes and 47.94% for at-large Place 5, with both candidates heading to a runoff in June. Caleb Meese received 386 votes, or 3.22%.
Denton election policy dictates that for a candidate to win a City Council election, a candidate must win at least 50% of the vote. If neither candidate earns 50%, a runoff election must be held after official results are canvassed. The Texas Secretary of State's website states the runoff will be held June 13.
Nick Stevens won the seat for City Council District 2 with 2,899 votes and 82.83% of the vote against Robert Archer's 601 and 17.17%.
In District 1, Jordan Villarreal won the council position with 949 votes and 55.56% of the vote. Michael Herron earned 496 votes and 29.04% of the vote. Kristofer Cox received 263 votes and 15.40%.
All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Posted 9:35 p.m.
With 147 out of 220 precincts reporting, unofficial election results show Garland, Stevens and Villarreal maintain their leads in their respective Denton City Council elections.
Garland leads in Place 5 with 5,642, or 49.78% of the vote, to Ferrie's 5,396 votes, or 47.33%. Meese has earned 364 votes for 3.19% of the vote.
Villarreal has received 949 votes, or 55.56% of the vote, maintaining the lead in District 1. Herron has earned 496 votes, or 29.04%, followed by Cox with 263 votes, 15.40%.
In District 2, Stevens has received 2,484 votes, or 83.81%, to Archer's 481 votes, or 16.22%.
Posted 7:19 p.m.
Unofficial election results show Erica Garland, Nick Stevens and Jordan Villarreal are currently leading in their respective City Council races.
The details
For At-Large Place 5, Garland has netted 4,435 votes, or 50.09%, George Michael Ferrie earned 4,114 votes, or 46.46% of the votes cast and Caleb Meese has earned 305 or 3.44% of the votes.
In District 1, Villarreal has received 632 votes, or 52.93%, Michael Herron earned 382 votes, or 31.99% of the votes cast and Kristofer Cox rounds out the District 1 candidates with 180 votes, or 15.08%.
For District 2, Stevens leads with 2,214 votes, or 84.02% and Robert Archer earned 421 votes, or 15.98% of the votes cast.
Some background
Overall, 6.45% of Denton County residents either turned out for early voting or mailed in a ballot, according to the county's election website. There are 578,734 registered voters in Denton County.
District 1's current representative, Vicki Byrd, is currently serving her third and final term on City Council and is running for Denton ISD Place 6. The city’s regulations forbid council members and the mayor from serving for more than three consecutive terms in the same elected position. All council members and the mayor serve two-year terms.
Cox, Herron and Villarreal are running to take Byrd’s seat on the council.
Brian Beck, the current representative from District 2, is running for mayor against former Denton Mayor Chris Watts, Angela Brewer and Sharon Childs. Stevens and Archer are both running to fill the District 2 seat.
At-large Place 5 is also up for grabs. Current Place 5 representative, Brandon McGee is running for Denton County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1. Meese, Ferrie and Garland are running to fill the at-large position.
What’s next?
Community Impact will update this article as more election day vote totals are released. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
