Plano voters have three open city council seats and a mayoral race in addition to a $649 million bond on their ballots in May. There are also four Plano ISD school board seats on the ballot.
Here’s who’s running to represent the city of Plano and Plano ISD. Early voting is scheduled for April 22 through April 29. Election day is May 3.
The city of Plano
Mayor
John Muns, who was elected in 2021, is running unopposed for another term as mayor.
Muns is a local business owner who grew up in Plano. Before he was elected mayor, Muns was the president of the Plano ISD school board and the chairman of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission. He lists supporting first responders and maintaining Plano’s aging roads and infrastructure as priorities on his campaign website. Funding for roads and a new police headquarters are the first two propositions in the city’s bond election.
Muns announced his intent to run for reelection on Facebook in July.
“I am committed to continuing the progress we’ve made and tackling new challenges head-on,” he said.
Place 2
Bob Kehr, Carson Underwood and Douglas Reeves are running to replace Anthony Ricciardelli, who is term limited and ineligible to run again. The city council district includes parts of West Plano according to a city council district map.
Kehr is a local businessman who owns Kehr Technologies, an IT services provider. He’s a member of the Plano Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors and the Plano Parks and Recreation Commission. The Plano Chamber of Commerce named Kehr Small Businessperson of the Year in 2022. He’s also the board chair of Leadership Plano Class 36.
Kehr lists several priorities for the city on his website, including housing and maintaining low property taxes.
“The tax rate in Plano remains one of the lowest in the region,” Kehr said on his campaign website. “However, the cost of housing is higher than in the past, which means the total taxes paid continues to grow. The city must continue to review all costs and ensure that the value to the taxpayers remains high.”
Underwood also lists keeping property taxes low as a priority on his campaign website. He said on his website that he’d advocate for responsible budgeting and strategic bond packages if elected. Other priorities he lists include local values and maintaining the city’s parks and community spaces.
“Investing in these spaces enhances quality of life and keeps Plano a place where everyone can thrive,” Underwood said on his campaign site.
Collin County Commissioner Duncan Webb appointed Underwood to the Collin County Park Advisory Commission in 2021. He’s currently the vice chair of the board. The city of Plano appointed Underwood to the Collin County Central Appraisal District in 2022.
Reeves, who previously ran for mayor, said on his campaign website he’s running for city council to increase transparency about the impact of urban sprawl in Plano.
“Urban sprawl is a nonpartisan issue; Democrats and Republicans are both opposed to huge numbers of high-density apartments in their neighborhoods,” Reeves said on his website.
Place 4
The incumbent for this seat, Kayci Prince, is also term limited. Chris Krupa Downs, a local attorney, and former Plano ISD trustee Cody Weaver are running for this seat. The district is centrally located in Plano and includes the Southern portion of Independence Parkway according to the city’s district map.
Krupa Downs, an estate attorney, is the vice chair of Plano’s Cultural Affairs Commission according to her website. She also serves on the board of the Plano Historical Commission and an alumna of Leadership Plano. She lists preserving city services, keeping crime low, improving roads and protecting taxpayers as priorities on her website.
Krupa Downs said on her website that running for city council is the next step in her service to the city.
“Chris is ready to continue her mission as our next Place 4 Councilmember, where she will protect our neighborhoods by ensuring first responders have the resources they need, improving roads and infrastructure, preserving essential city services, and enhancing our already excellent parks, trails, libraries and rec centers,” she said on her website.
Weaver, who was elected to the Plano ISD school board of trustees in 2019, lost his seat on the school board to Katherine Chan Goodwin in 2023. He said on his campaign website that his experience as a trustee would be an asset to the city council.
“While on the School Board, I worked closely with state legislators on key education bills and advocated for greater transparency and accountability in public education,” Weaver said on his website. “Notable examples include legislation ensuring due process in grievance matters and safeguarding parental rights.”
The Plano Realtor lists several priorities on his campaign website, including growth management, public safety, fiscal responsibility and public transportation. He called Plano’s involvement in Dallas Area Rapid Transit “a complex issue” and said he’s committed to finding “ways to reduce the burden of this tax on Plano residents.”
The Plano city council passed a resolution last summer expressing interest in cutting the city’s contribution to DART’s funding.
Place 8
Rick Smith, the current Place 8 council member, has served his maximum amount of terms. Vidal Quintanilla and Hayden Padgett are both running to take his place in the at-large seat, which serves the entire city of Plano.
Padgett, the chairman of the Young Republicans National Federation, first ran for office in the Texas House District 70 2022 GOP primary. He came in third in the primary election with about 21% of the vote.
A member of the Plano Parks and Recreation Board, Padgett said on his website that he plans to focus on quality of life issues if elected, including public safety and reducing traffic by repairing aging infrastructure.
“Let’s keep Plano the best place to live, work and play for the next generation,” Padgett said on his website.
Quintanilla, who works in Human Resources for a healthcare company, is on the city of Plano’s Community Relations Commission. He’s also a graduate of Leadership Plano and has served as a Collin County election clerk.
His website lists support for public safety, low property taxes and redeveloping the Four Corners retail area.
“Vidal is committed to creating a stronger, more connected Plano for everyone,” Quintanilla said on his website.
Plano ISD
Place 1
Lauren Tyra, the incumbent, is running for reelection unopposed. She was first elected in 2021.
“During my time as a PISD Trustee, I have put kids first and abided by the values I was raised with in this community,” Tyra said on her website.
Tyra, who grew up in Plano, has a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Texas at Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Her website lists initiatives she backed related to academic standards, STEM education, safety and security and financial stewardship.
Place 2
Sam Johnson and Xiomar Pierre are running to replace Angela Powell, who is term limited.
Johnson, who graduated from Plano Senior High School, owns a business law firm according to his website biography. He also serves on the city of Plano’s Board of Adjustment and has been on the board of the Anti-Defamation League since 2012.
“I am running to serve on Plano ISD’s Board of Trustees because we need strong leaders who know the Plano community and are willing to roll their sleeves up to preserve PISD’s legacy as a trailblazer in Texas education while navigating its evolution through the change it is undergoing,” Johnson said on his website.
Pierre lists his occupation as student on his application for a place on the ballot.
Place 3
School board president Nancy Humphrey is running for another term. She’ll face Harper Weaver, a data engineer whose child attended Forman Elementary, one of the four campuses Plano ISD voted to close last year.
Humphrey, the chair of the district’s legislative subcommittee, lists her experience advocating for Plano ISD in Austin on her website. She was also the executive director of the Hendrick Scholarship Foundation until she retired in 2019.
“Every day, I get inspired by our amazing students, dedicated teachers, and engaged parents,” Humphrey said on her website. “I truly believe that together we can keep making our schools a place where every student grows and is life ready upon graduation.”
Weaver said on his website that he’s running because the district’s process that led to the closing of his son’s school showed a lack of oversight.
“A school board that is complacent enough to defer completely to the district is not a functional school board,” he said on his website.
Weaver analyzed the district’s data regarding school closures and and shared his findings with KERA last year. He said the district’s new boundaries will increase travel times to school and require more bus routes.
Place 6
Elisa Klein, Andrew Rettke and Dash Weerasinghe are running to replace Jeri Chambers, who is term limited.
Klein ran for Plano City Council Place 8 in 2021, losing to current council member Rick Smith. She received about 47% of the vote.
Klein’s website lists experience as a business owner and PTA mom.
“Plano has been my home since I was a teenager, and I love everything Plano has to offer for all stages of life,” Klein said on her website.
Rettke listed his occupation as construction on his application for a place on the ballot. He said in his Facebook post announcing his campaign that he’s a teacher, coach and former PISD student.
“The district needs strong oversight to ensure that every decision is made with students’ best interests in mind, not bureaucracy or image preservation,” Rettke said.
Weerasinghe lists his occupation as education consultant on his application for a place on the ballot.
Got a tip? Email Caroline Love at clove@kera.org.
Caroline Love is a Report For America corps member for KERA News.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.