Shelby Williams Edges Woody Huffines in Razor-Thin GOP Primary for Precinct 4

Shelby Williams captured the Republican nomination for Collin County Commissioner, Precinct 4 in a razor-thin result, unofficial tallies published after polls closed March 3 show Williams with 10,974 votes and all 86 vote centers reporting. Local coverage described the margin as extremely close, with one outlet putting Williams at almost 50% and former state senator Woody Huffines at about 49%.

Williams, a former Plano City Council member who stepped down from his council seat to run, has served as Collin County GOP party chair and emphasized infrastructure and utilities as top priorities. At the Conservative Republicans’ candidate forum he framed his campaign in outreach terms, saying, “I ran for GOP chair on the platform of, and I quote, reaching the countless Republicans who don't yet know they're Republican.” On paying for growth-related projects he argued for bond financing, saying, “The way to do that without raising property taxes, Williams said, is with bond funds. Since bonds are still funded by taxpayers, he said elected officials need to ensure they get the maximum value for their communities.”

Woody Huffines, described on the ballot as a former state senator and a construction consultant, ran a business-minded, fiscal-conservative campaign focused on efficiency in county government and protecting tax dollars. At the same forum Huffines warned about rapid growth in Collin County, saying, “We're going more than double in size in the next few decades,” and added, “We have to prepare for all those people before they get here, not after they're here and try to retrofit.” Campaign materials and candidate profiles framed Huffines as “Committed to protecting taxpayer dollars & ensuring responsible spending,” and pushing to modernize county systems.

Precinct 4 covers large portions of Plano and also stretches into Allen and Dallas, a geography that local Democrats see as competitive because it includes Texas House District 70, the seat of Democratic Rep. Mihaela Plesa. Democrat Julie Holmer, who served with Williams on Plano city council, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for the commissioner seat and is positioned to be the November opponent following the primary results.

The primary night also settled the county judge GOP race, with incumbent Chris Hill defeating former Plano councilman Rick Grady to secure a third-term nomination; local reports said Hill outraised Grady and won endorsements from state Sen. Angela Paxton and Texas GOP Chair Abraham George. Community Impact published a story headlined “FINAL: Shelby Williams wins Collin County commissioner primary race,” by Jacquelyn Burrer, published March 3 and updated March 4, listing a contact phone of (512) 989-6808.

Officials have not posted certified precinct results in the excerpts available; the Williams figure of 10,974 comes from unofficial tallies. Collin County elections officials will certify the results and release Huffines’ raw vote total and the official margin; residents seeking the final canvass should check the Collin County elections office for certified results and any subsequent notices. Williams will be the Republican nominee for Precinct 4 and will face Democrat Julie Holmer in the general election this fall in one of Collin County’s fastest-growing precincts where water, energy and infrastructure policy debates are likely to shape the campaign.