Voters in the eastern half of Denton will choose between a sitting judge with a law license and a former City Council member who says a working person without one belongs on that bench, in the Nov. 3 race for Denton County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1.
Republican Alan Wheeler, who took office on Jan. 1, 2023, is seeking a second four-year term. Democrat Brandon Chase McGee, who passed on a reelection bid for his Place 5 council seat this year so he could challenge Wheeler, is his opponent. The county elections office lists both of them on its November contest sheet.
Precinct 1 takes in the eastern half of Denton plus Corinth, Lake Dallas, Shady Shores, Hickory Creek and the Lantana area, the Denton Record-Chronicle reported Friday in a guide to all six justice of the peace races in the county.
The two candidates
Wheeler has held a Texas law license since 2009, served as an assistant district attorney for Denton County and opened a private law practice, according to the Record-Chronicle.
He calls the justice court the "people's court" because its filing fees are far below those in district court, and his campaign argues that the many litigants who come without a lawyer are best served by a judge who knows the law well enough to walk them through it.
Wheeler says that during his first term he worked through backlogged cases, moved small claims to resolution faster and added online tools for people representing themselves.
McGee has no prior legal experience. When he announced his campaign, he told the Record-Chronicle he sees that as an advantage. "This position was to be, in fact, a citizen judge," he said, describing the role as a regular working person hearing from people going through the same things he is.
His campaign website says he would offer defendants alternatives to fines, such as community service and connections to community resources, and that he would support extending the work of the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center to Denton County so tenants have better representation.
