Preliminary vote totals from the McKinney election results on Saturday indicate several races may require a runoff to determine the winner, including the contest for mayor. Voters cast ballots for the city's top leadership position and three of seven City Council seats.
In the mayoral race, Bill Cox holds a lead with 47 percent of the vote, according to unofficial early results. Scott Sanford is running second with 41 percent. State law requires a candidate to receive more than 50 percent of the vote to win outright; otherwise, the top two candidates proceed to a runoff election tentatively scheduled for June 7. George Fuller is concluding his time as mayor after eight years.
The race for the At-Large City Council seat also appears headed for a runoff. Five candidates sought the position being vacated by incumbent Charlie Philips, who is term limited. Ernest Lynch leads the field with 31 percent of early votes counted, followed by Jim Garrison with 20 percent.
For the McKinney City Council District 3 seat, incumbent Gere Feltus leads her challenger Tammy Warren with 54 percent of the vote in preliminary counts. These results position Feltus for another term representing the district.
Incumbent Justin Beller secured re-election to the McKinney City Council District 1 seat without opposition. He will begin his second and final term on the council.
The new council members will face decisions regarding the city's future, including a proposed expansion of the McKinney National Airport. Discussions surrounding growth and development featured prominently in recent forums and debates among the candidates.
Preliminary totals indicate voter participation involving over 13,000 ballots in the mayoral race. Final official results for all races will be confirmed once all ballots are counted and certified.
