By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews
Early voting continues through Feb. 27; Election Day is March 3.
As early voting continues in the March primary, Collin County Republicans are deciding more than who advances to November. In races for County Judge and several Texas House seats, voters are choosing between different approaches to conservative leadership in a rapidly growing region.
The ballot also includes a series of party propositions that highlight which issues are driving this year’s primary.
What Are the Primary Propositions — and Why Do They Matter?
The propositions on the Republican primary ballot do not change state law. They are internal party questions used to measure where primary voters stand on key issues and to help shape future platform and legislative priorities.
This year’s Republican ballot asks voters to weigh in on property tax limits, immigration enforcement, school curriculum requirements, legislative leadership rules, and whether Texas should prohibit Sharia law.
The question on Sharia law — along with those addressing immigration enforcement and certain education policies — comes amid ongoing statewide debate over cultural and institutional issues, including religious freedom, border security, and school curriculum standards. While the propositions themselves are symbolic, the results offer a signal about what Republican primary voters want emphasized in 2026.
Those themes are reflected in the messaging and contrasts playing out in several of Collin County’s contested Republican races.
Collin County Judge: Outreach vs. Base Consolidation
In the Republican primary for Collin County Judge, incumbent Chris Hill and challenger Rick Grady present different interpretations of what Republican leadership should look like in a rapidly growing suburban county.
Grady has emphasized broad community engagement. He has appeared at civic and faith-based venues, including the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), where he described the atmosphere as “warm and friendly” and referred to it as his “third home” during a February 9 candidate forum. He has also publicly thanked EPIC for providing winter shelter during severe weather, highlighting its role in serving vulnerable residents.
Hill has publicly criticized that outreach. In campaign messaging and social media posts, he questioned Grady’s positioning and framed his own campaign around fiscal management, border security priorities, and continuity in governance.
The difference comes down to approach. Grady has chosen to publicly engage with a wider range of community groups, including Muslim residents. Hill has focused his campaign on reinforcing traditional conservative themes and has criticized that broader outreach.
For Republican primary voters, the choice is whether they prefer a candidate who is actively reaching out to a broader cross-section of the county or one who is focused on reinforcing established conservative priorities.
State House Races: Experience, Intensity, and Direction
A similar tension between experience, emphasis, and ideological clarity appears across the contested House districts.
In House District 61, incumbent Keresa Richardson faces Frederick Frazier in a rematch shaped largely by education policy and campaign messaging. Richardson has highlighted her alignment with national Republican figures and support for school choice legislation. Frazier has positioned himself as a conservative alternative, emphasizing his law enforcement background and a different approach to public education priorities. The race centers on how assertively to pursue certain reforms and how Republican values should be presented to suburban voters.
In House District 67, incumbent Jeff Leach and challenger Matt Thorsen offer a contrast between legislative seniority and sharper ideological messaging. Leach points to committee leadership roles and policy experience in Austin. Thorsen has campaigned as a more ideologically rigid alternative, emphasizing clearer alignment on cultural and institutional issues. Messaging in the race has included pointed contrasts over consistency and representation style, reflecting an intraparty debate about intensity versus influence.
In House District 89, incumbent Candy Noble faces Jeff Forrester and Freddie America in a three-candidate primary. Noble stresses fiscal policy and continuity in conservative governance. Her challengers frame their campaigns around grassroots priorities and a desire for a different tone or direction. The multi-candidate field signals that segments of the electorate are seeking recalibration rather than simple reaffirmation of incumbency.
Across these districts, voters are not choosing between party platforms. They are deciding how conservatism should be defined locally — through legislative experience, sharper ideological emphasis, expanded outreach, or stronger base consolidation.
The Broader Pattern
Taken together, the propositions and contested races give voters a clear view of what this primary is about. The questions on the ballot highlight issues driving the Republican base, while the County Judge and House contests show how candidates are responding to those priorities in their campaigns.
With early voting underway and several races that could be decided in the primary, the March election will determine not only who moves on to November, but how Republican leadership in Collin County is positioned heading into 2026.