Free candidate forum Sunday in Argyle puts 21 Denton County candidates at the same tables

Denton County voters can meet more than 20 candidates on their Nov. 3 ballot face to face Sunday afternoon, the day before early voting begins, at a free event in Argyle.

Meet Your Denton County Candidates runs from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at The Front Porch at Harvest, 1690 Treeline Drive in Argyle. Admission is free. Organizers ask people to reserve a spot online to help with planning, but walk-ins are welcome, and children are invited.

Who is coming

As of Friday, 21 candidates had confirmed they would attend in person, according to the event's website. They include candidates in these races:

• Denton County Judge: Nick Pappas
• Denton County Clerk: Dale Frey and Juli Luke
• County Commissioner, Precinct 4: Stephanie Draper and David Wylie
• Justice of the Peace: Alan Wheeler (Precinct 1), Katrina D. Moore (Precinct 2), Trista Willeford (Precinct 3), and Harris Hughey and Will Robertson (Precinct 4)
• 481st District Court judge: Seth Fuller
• Texas House: Darren Hamilton, Richard Hayes and Ray Stith (District 57); Julie Evans (District 64); Detrick DeBurr and Mitch Little (District 65)
• U.S. House, District 26: Steven Shook
• State Board of Education, District 14: Amy Taylor
• Statewide: Pat Dixon (governor) and Shehla Faizi (comptroller)

The campaigns of Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for governor, and Nathan Johnson, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, will send representatives; neither candidate will attend in person, the site says. Organizers said they expect more candidates to confirm.

How it works

Most of the two hours is set aside for one-on-one conversations at candidate tables. An emcee will also ask candidates running in the same race the same questions, according to the organizers. When only one candidate in a race attends, that candidate may get a few minutes for remarks instead.

The event's website suggests questions for state and federal candidates on health coverage, child care, public school funding, food access and the minimum wage, each paired with a government statistic.

Who is behind it

The event is organized by Denton County residents and is not run or sponsored by any political party, campaign, company or nonprofit, according to its website. Every certified party candidate in the races covered was offered the same chance to take part, and an invitation is not an endorsement, the organizers say.

Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election starts Monday, Oct. 19.

Sources

Meet Your Denton County Candidates, event website and confirmed-candidate list (read Oct. 16, 2026): meetdentoncandidates.org Event organizer Laura Latimer, email to the newsroom, Oct. 16, 2026