{"id":699,"date":"2026-05-11T14:41:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T14:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dallasrelocationhubs.com\/?p=699"},"modified":"2026-05-11T14:41:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T14:41:11","slug":"how-did-hill-and-vilhauer-beat-two-council-members-to-make-the-runoff-for-frisco-mayor-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dallasrelocationhubs.com\/?p=699","title":{"rendered":"How did Hill and Vilhauer beat two council members to make the runoff for Frisco mayor?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A week after Frisco\u2019s mayoral election, the biggest question still hanging over the race is how two municipal\u00a0outsiders knocked off two former City Council members and claimed the runoff spots.\u00a0<\/p>

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Former Frisco ISD trustee Mark Hill and retired construction business owner Rod Vilhauer advanced to the June 13 runoff after tapping into frustration with Frisco\u2019s city establishment in sharply different ways.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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Hill pitched a message of unity while Vilhauer raised inflammatory concerns\u00a0about immigration, Islam and\u00a0Frisco\u2019s changing identity.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

The outcome turned what ordinarily might have been a local debate over growth and development into a bitter fight over diversity in one of North Texas\u2019 fastest-growing suburbs.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

The runoff also comes just months after activists drew national attention at Frisco City Hall by warning about an alleged \u201cIndian takeover\u201d of the city and claiming widespread H-1B visa fraud.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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Neither candidate gained a majority of the vote to avoid a runoff. Hill, who finished first, ran under the slogan \u201cUnite Frisco\u201d and has called the city\u2019s Indian residents an \u201cintegral part of the community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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Vilhauer gained notoriety and praise from supporters for comparing South Asian immigrants to rats and portraying Shariah as a growing threat in Frisco.<\/p><\/div>

Interviews with campaign staffers and volunteers, along with a review of finance reports and social media activity, show both campaigns capitalized on anti-establishment frustration, though they used different approaches to reach voters.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

At his election night watch party, Hill, who drew about 34% of the vote, urged supporters and elected officials present, including outgoing Mayor Jeff Cheney, to push even harder over the next six weeks.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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\u201cWe need an army,\u201d Hill said. \u00a0<\/p><\/div>

On social media, Vilhauer, who got 31%, said the runoff would be tougher than the first round. He has tried to link Hill to Cheney, saying residents are tired of that leadership. \u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Cheney endorsed Hill after Vilhauer\u2019s comments. \u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Social media strategy\u00a0<\/h2><\/div>

About two months ago, Vilhauer called Frisco resident Ryan Stewman, a friend from Elevate Life Church, after their pastor encouraged the two men to connect.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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\u201cI\u2019m in dead last place,\u201d Vilhauer told Stewman. \u201cI don\u2019t think door knocking and signs are going to work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Stewman, who has worked in social media marketing, helped Vilhauer launch a campaign Facebook page. The candidate posted short, unscripted videos nearly every day from behind a wooden desk. Stewman said the page has about 2,600 followers and roughly 900,000 views.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Stewman said the strategy worked because Vilhauer\u2019s short-form videos reached voters who otherwise might never have encountered his campaign. Vilhauer leaned heavily into casual clips designed to spread through Facebook\u2019s algorithm.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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\u201cIf you’re scrolling reels, you run across random reels all the time,\u201d Stewman said. \u201cSo \u2026 we really focused on that to reach people who don’t know him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Vilhauer still relied on traditional tactics, such as private events at supporters\u2019 homes, mailers and yard signs. But Stewman believes social media played a major role in helping the first-time candidate secure second place.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Alisa Maso Hess, campaign manager for Hill, acknowledged the power of social media. But she said it also has its limits because online engagement may not translate to support at the polls in a suburb with 140,000 registered voters. \u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Hill posted less frequently than Vilhauer but mixed polished campaign videos with informal clips filmed outside polling locations during early voting. One featured former Frisco Mayor Mike Simpson, who endorsed Hill.<\/p><\/div>

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Political experience<\/h2><\/div>

Vilhauer has lived in Frisco since 1986 but has not held a city role since serving on the planning and zoning commission in the 1990s. He previously owned Rodman, a construction company with projects across Frisco.\u00a0<\/p>

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Dan Stricklin, a former Frisco City Council member who was paid about $24,000 to block walk for Vilhauer, said the candidate ran a strong campaign despite starting as the \u201cunknown guy\u201d in the race. The two men know each other through Elevate Life Church.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Christopher Zook Jr., president of CAZ Consulting, the firm Vilhauer hired, said the results showed many Frisco voters were looking for new leadership.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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Hill and Vilhauer finished ahead of former veteran council members John Keating and Shona Sowell. As of Friday, they hadn\u2019t endorsed either candidate. \u00a0<\/p><\/div>

\u201cTwo well-known city council members couldn’t hold off a first-time candidate,\u201d Zook wrote in an email.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Hill is also relatively new to politics. He was elected to the Frisco ISD board in 2023 and co-owns a law firm at Hall Park with Byron Henry, chair of the Collin County GOP.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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\u00a0Maso Hess, daughter of former Frisco Mayor Maher Maso, said the results reflected anti-establishment sentiment but cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions because turnout remained low. About 17.9% of registered voters cast ballots in the mayoral election.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

\u00a0\u201cA really small percentage of the community is deciding who our next mayor is,\u201d Maso Hess said.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

\u00a0Terri Green, an attorney who volunteered for Hill\u2019s campaign as a poll greeter, said Hill struck a balance between challenging the political status quo and avoiding divisive rhetoric during a tense period in the city.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ve been in the news for the wrong reasons,\u201d Green said. \u201cMark\u2019s message of unity resonated with voters.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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Consultants and money\u00a0<\/h2><\/div>

Campaign finance reports filed at the end of April showed Vilhauer spent about $276,000 in the race, and Hill roughly $208,000, making them the top spenders in the field. Each campaign paid more than $100,000 to campaign consultants with ties to Republican candidates.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Vilhauer embraced anti-Islam messaging that has gained traction in some corners of Texas Republican politics this cycle. \u00a0<\/p><\/div>

One campaign text featured black-and-white images of women in hijabs beside the message: \u201cSharia Law has no place in Frisco \u2026 the wrong mayor won\u2019t stop it.\u201d Zook declined to say whether CAZ Consulting produced the text.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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Vilhauer has kept up his anti-Islam rhetoric, calling Islam a terrorist group while picking up endorsements from the Denton County GOP and two Republican state representatives.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Hill has largely avoided directly attacking Vilhauer, instead urging supporters to keep focusing on a positive message. Some of Hill\u2019s notable donors and volunteers are Muslim. \u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Facing the June 13 runoff, both campaigns are already focused on a new challenge: turnout.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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