May 2, 2026

By Mary Beth Gahan

Clare Harris has been elected to the Flower Mound town council after a months-long campaign that centered on the candidates’ civic engagement and length of time living in the town.

At the end of the night, she thanked voters for their trust.

“They say Master Gardeners aren't afraid of a little hard work and this campaign proved it,” she told the North Texas Sun.

Harris had nearly 55 percent of the vote, with 2,953 votes, according to preliminary totals from the Denton County Elections Administration. She will serve a three-year term.

Her opponents, Susan Cox and Ethan Mitchell, received 41 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

Council member Chris Drew, who was unopposed for his bid for reelection, received 4,114 votes.

The municipal election had a turnout of 9 percent, or 5,373 votes. Of 58,195 registered voters in the town, 3,362 voted early and 1,805 cast ballots on Election Day. There were 206 absentee ballots counted.

The race, which is officially nonpartisan, got heated among political circles in Denton County and drew the attention of several elected leaders from Flower Mound to Washington, D.C.

“By staying nonpartisan, I had the pleasure of working with neighbors from both sides of the aisle who put Flower Mound first. The support I received from people in this community means everything. While high-profile legislators campaigned against me, it was that grassroots effort that won the day,” Harris said.

Critics of Harris said she hadn’t lived in Flower Mound long enough to understand the issues of the town. Harris moved to the Metroplex more than two decades ago and has lived in Flower Mound for six years. In that time, she has served on the environmental conservation commission and planning and zoning commission, among others.

She is a Denton County Master Gardener, a research-based program supported by Texas AgriLife that teaches volunteers about horticulture through 70 hours of instruction and 70 hours of outside projects. Tree preservation and the rural character of Flower Mound are important to many residents.

Susan Cox, who has lived here nearly 26 years, was criticized for not being on any government boards or commissions and failing to vote in municipal elections. Cox pointed to her years raising kids in the community and running a local business owner as experience for the job.

Three of the five current town council members publicly endorsed Harris and Mayor Cheryl Moore published a Facebook post in support of Harris, without naming her, on Election Day.

“Vote for the candidate who has put in the work for YOUR TOWN,” Moore wrote. “The candidate who has shown involvement in the Town consistently and not at the last minute. The candidate who doesn’t create political division.”

On the opposing side, the Denton County Republican Party endorsed Susan Cox and she also had the backing of State Reps. Ben Bumgarner and Mitch Little, whose districts include Flower Mound. Congressman Brandon Gill endorsed her on Wednesday.

Harris will be sworn in at a special town council meeting on May 13.