By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews.com
Call it a runoff. Call it a reckoning. Either way, McKinney voters didn’t just cast ballots on June 7 — they sent a message. Loud and clear.
This wasn’t just a two-man mayoral showdown. It was a stress test on endorsements, early voting strategy, and how much voters still care about big-name backing in a local race. The answers? Surprising. The turnout? Impressive. And the takeaway? If you thought McKinney was on autopilot, think again.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Back on May 3, McKinney voters faced a four-way mayoral race. Bill Cox came out on top with 8,957 votes (46.78%), while Scott Sanford finished close behind with 7,813 (40.81%). Taylor Willingham and Matt “Doc” Rostami split the remaining vote, keeping Cox just shy of a majority and forcing a runoff.
That set the stage for June 7. And let’s just say: it was a different ballgame.
Bill Cox: 11,401 votes (52.55%)
Scott Sanford: 10,296 votes (47.45%)
Turnout: 21,697 voters — unusually high for a local runoff
In the At-Large 1 City Council race, Ernest Lynch secured a victory over Jim Garrison.
Ernest Lynch: 11,852 votes (62.6%)
Jim Garrison: 7,070 votes (37.4%)
The numbers show a decisive win. Lynch had finished first in the initial May election but fell short of the 50% needed to avoid a runoff. On June 7, he successfully consolidated support from voters who had backed other candidates in the first round, resulting in a clear majority.
Early Voting Is the New Battleground
The early voting numbers tell their own story. In both races, the eventual winners had a clear edge before Election Day even started.
Cox pulled in 8,624 early votes to Sanford’s 7,732.
Lynch racked up 9,057 early votes, leaving Garrison behind at 5,287.
Even beyond early voting, the scoreboard favored Cox and Lynch. Sanford and Garrison didn’t just trail in early voting — they also came up short on Election Day. Voters stuck with Cox and Lynch from start to finish, leaving no late-game surprises. In Collin County, winning early isn’t just an advantage — it’s often the ballgame.
Big Names, Small Payoff
Sanford had all the endorsements a conservative candidate could ask for: Governor Greg Abbott, Congressman Keith Self, and a parade of right-wing influencers eager to tell McKinney voters who the “true conservative” was.
But here’s the thing — McKinney voters weren’t buying it.
Despite the heavyweight backing, Sanford fell short. The “endorsed candidate” with the MAGA-friendly résumé lost to a relatively quiet, business-focused civic planner. And Cox didn’t just squeak by — he expanded his lead from May to June.
The lesson? Collin County may still lean red, but it’s not blindly following national conservative endorsements. That rubber stamp doesn’t carry as much ink as it used to.
When the Pulpit Gets Political
One moment that drew attention during the campaign didn’t come from the candidates themselves, but from current Mayor George Fuller. Ahead of the runoff, Fuller shared a video clip of a local pastor’s sermon that some viewed as politically charged. The video prompted discussion in the community — with some residents saying it raised fair concerns about political messaging from the pulpit, while others felt the clip didn’t fully represent the pastor’s original intent.
Either way, the moment drew attention to a deeper tension in this race: how closely faith and politics were starting to intermingle. McKinney is a city where religion plays a significant role in civic life — but the runoff showed there’s a limit to how far voters want that influence to go. They may support values-driven leadership, but they don’t seem eager to see Sunday sermons turned into campaign flashpoints.
The MAGA-to-Mayor Pipeline Hits a Wall
Cox’s win wasn’t a progressive shift — McKinney is still a solidly conservative city. But it did show that not every Republican voter is drawn to MAGA-style branding in a local election. While Sanford leaned on endorsements and ideological credentials, Cox kept the focus on core city issues: infrastructure, safety, and growth.
Sanford’s message may have resonated with the party faithful, but Cox appealed to a broader range of voters who were more focused on the city’s day-to-day needs than statewide politics. In a runoff, that kind of coalition can be decisive.
Final Takeaways
The June 7 runoff wasn’t about party platforms or partisan purity tests. It was about trust, priorities, and who’s really listening. McKinney voters showed up—not just to pick a mayor, but to make it clear they want substance over slogans.
They didn’t reward big endorsements. They didn’t follow the loudest voice. They chose the candidates who kept the conversation close to home.
If there’s one lesson here heading into 2026, it’s this: in McKinney, showing up with substance beats showing up with a slogan. Every time.