Bad vs. Awful: Voters Reject Anti-Islam Candidate in Mayoral Race in Dallas Suburb

Mark Hill, a conservative lawyer who served on the local school board, won a divisive mayoral runoff on Saturday in Frisco, Texas, that turned into a referendum on the city’s diversity and a testing ground for the power of anti-Muslim messaging.

Mr. Hill defeated Rod Vilhauer, a retired construction company owner who gained a following on the hard right with his promises to keep “terrorists” from gaining a foothold in Frisco and to prevent Shariah, or Islamic religious codes, from taking precedence over local and federal law.

The nonpartisan race was one of the earliest tests of whether attacks on Islam, increasingly prevalent among Republican politicians and primary candidates this year, would be effective with a broader set of voters.

Mr. Hill’s victory could dampen the enthusiasm among Republican candidates for such messages in general election contests, particularly in places like the suburbs of Dallas that are home to large numbers of Muslim and South Asian residents.



https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/13/us/frisco-texas-mayor-election-mark-hill.html