Garland, TX — As the election results began pouring in, a watch party at Bee Hippy gathered, and the Garland downtown square buzzed with nervous excitement. One resident, Amber Ray, emphasized the importance of these elections, urging more community members to vote. She remarked, “We need to do a lot of advertising, get it out there, get people to the polls. This is probably one of the most important elections for Garland on our journey to growth.”
At Bee Hippy, newly re-elected Carissa Dutton was honored with the 51% Light Award. Dutton received this recognition for her strong support of the Light Warriors at 7th and Main and her extensive volunteer work in the greater Garland area.
Garland Election Results
In the Garland mayoral race, no candidate received a majority of the votes, leading to a runoff election. Deborah S. Morris received 4,166 votes, accounting for 42.48% of the total, while Dylan Hedrick garnered 3,252 votes (33.16%), P C Mathew received 810 votes (8.26%), and Shibu Samuel had 512 votes (5.22%). The total number of votes cast in this race was 9,808, with 174 undervotes. The runoff will take place on June 7, 2025.
For the Garland City Council District 3 seat, Ed Moore won with 799 votes (68.47%), while Douglas Huff and Lindsey Fiegelman received 175 votes (9.37%) and 479 votes (25.64%), respectively. The total votes cast in this district amounted to 1,868, with 125 undervotes.
In District 6, Carissa Dutton secured the seat with 425 votes (61.06%), defeating Robert Vera, who garnered 271 votes (38.94%). The total votes cast here were 696, with 68 undervotes.
Uncontested races in Districts 7 and 8 resulted in the election of Joe Thomas and the re-election of Chris Ott, respectively.
Proposition Results
- Prop A: For 7,947 (82.10%), Against 1,733 (17.90%) — 302 undervotes
- Prop B: For 6,705 (69.73%), Against 2,910 (30.27%) — 367 undervotes
- Prop C: For 6,312 (65.77%), Against 3,285 (34.23%) — 385 undervotes
- Prop D: For 7,209 (74.79%), Against 2,430 (25.21%) — 343 undervotes
Note: An undervote occurs when a voter does not select a candidate for a specific race on their ballot.
Rowlett Election Results
In Rowlett, the mayoral race saw Jeff Winget winning with 2,364 votes (57.69%) over Deb Shinder, who received 1,734 votes (42.31%). The race included 39 undervotes.
For Rowlett City Council Place 2, Marvin Gibbs won with 2,383 votes (59.53%), while David Larrick Smith received 1,620 votes (40.47%) and recorded 134 undervotes.
In Place 4, Mike Britton secured victory with 2,241 votes (56.41%) against Betsy White, who garnered 1,732 votes (43.59%) and had 164 undervotes.
Council Place 6 featured John P. Bowers III “Trey” winning with 1,791 votes (44.55%) over Pamela Bell and Alexander Robles, who received 1,969 votes (26.59%) and 1,160 votes (28.86%), respectively, with 117 undervotes. This race will lead to a runoff scheduled for June 7, 2025.
Sachse Election Results
In Sachse, Jeff Bickerstaff was elected mayor with 950 votes (59.41%), defeating Matthew D. Holboke, who received 649 votes (40.59%) with 96 undervotes.
For City Council Place 5, Lindsay Buhler won with 1,184 votes (72.86%) against Rafay Sheikh, who received 441 votes (27.14%), with 70 undervotes. In Place 6, Matt Prestenberg secured victory with 1,060 votes (64.05%), defeating Gurvinder Singh, who received 595 votes (35.95%), with 40 undervotes.
Sachse Proposition A passed with 1,295 votes (81.81%) in favor compared to 288 votes (18.19%) against it, with 112 undervotes.
Garland ISD Trustee Results
In the contested race for Garland ISD Trustee, Larry Glick won with 8,381 votes (61.61%) against Stéphane Rovelo, who received 5,223 votes (38.39%). Uncontested races resulted in the re-election of Trustees Johnny Beach and Linda Griffin.
As the results poured in, some of the watch party moved to Square Park, where the mood shifted. The Garland Square Pickers played softly, their music reverberating through the park and providing a comforting backdrop to the evening. As the 2025 Joint and Special Election revealed low voter turnout, it became clear that a small number of voters had influenced key decisions affecting the community. This reality lingered in the air, underscoring the importance of participation in future elections. The night closed with a mix of reflection and hope, reminding everyone of the collective journey ahead.
