With spoiler Doug Reeves siphoning off nearly 15 percent of the vote, neither long-time incumbent Phyllis Cole nor challenger Matt Shaheen brought in 50 percent of the vote necessary to win the race out right. Cole picked up 47 percent of the vote, while Shaheen collected 38 percent.
Cole and Shaheen face off a second time April 8. The winner of that battle faces no Democratic challenger in the fall.
“Any time you have three people in a race, you’re vulnerable to a runoff,” Cole said from her home where she watched the returns. “This was a very unusual election. There was a huge turnout in the Republican primary and huge turnout in the Democratic primary.”
Earlier in the day, County Judge Keith Self posted a blog endorsing Shaheen along with Corbett Howard, challenger in the Commissioners’ court Precinct 3 race.
The blog blasted sitting commissioners for communicating via email to discuss tax cuts, in what he said was a violation of the Open Meetings Act. The emails, he wrote, said commissioners discussed the county’s growth rate and implied that the county support a tax cut larger than quarter of a percent that the commissioners ultimately approved.
Cole said she did not know what impact the blog might have had on the election or why Self chose to endorse on the day of the primary.
“I don’t know if the blog had an impact. I don’t know who it was sent to,” she said. “Don’t know why he did that.”
Whatever Self’s motive, Shaheen appreciates the push.
“Any kind of endorsement from the judge is something that is welcome,” he said. “That is a huge message. Judge Self wants to unite the commissioners’ court and work well with the commissioners and him to do the work of Collin County.”
Shaheen thinks that Collin County is ready for new faces at the county level.
“It’s a clear indication that voters want a change in Collin County,” he said. “My message of term limits and tax relief really rang true.”
“Shaheen and Reeves had very conservative messages,” she said. “Something must have translated to voters.”
However, Ward said she believes that Cole was hurt more by the large crossover vote in the Democratic primary.
“It’ll be interesting to see who comes out in the runoff to vote.” She said. “We had a number of Republicans crossed over and voted in the Democratic primary.”
Only people who voted in the Republican primary can cast ballots in the runoff election, she said.
“Those folks are no longer eligible. They’re going to be disappointed if they want to vote April 8,” she said.
Still, Cole drew Cole remains optimistic.
“We’re ready. It’s just a matter of getting the voters back out,” she said.
Shaheen is equally upbeat.
“We had a boatload of support from the beginning. We ran a really good campaign and we’re pumped up to keep the momentum going.”
