Plano alderman unseats three-term incumbent mayor

Plano is set to have a new mayor for the first time in twelves years, all by a margin of just 24 votes.

Alderman Mike Rennels defeated Mayor Bob Hausler in Tuesday election, garnering a final, unofficial total of 412 votes to Hausler’s 388.

A landmark shift after over a decade of Hausler’s leadership, Rennels is set to take over at city hall during a moment defined by the city’s post-pandemic economic recovery. Coming to politics from public access TV, Rennels was elected to the Plano City Council in 2015.

The mayor’s race, Hausler’s first competitive one since 2013, was marked by ample support for Rennels on the city council. At least three of his fellow alderman publicly backed Rennel’s bid to unseat Hausler.

Hausler had touted his record on economic development and support for local businesses impacted by the pandemic. Rennels, the city’s top economic development official, ran on his own economic record, emphasizing his role in the relocation of Gjovik Ford car dealership to Plano from Sandwich.

“I think that Plano needs to be prepared to grow economically,” Rennels said in a previous interview. “I respect Plano’s history and heritage, but growth and change are inevitable. So I want to lead Plano into our future using all the resources available to better communicate, to better grow our economy.”

Plano’s mayor-elect also emphasized communication and transparency during the campaign, arguing that Hausler had not used technology’s full potential for reaching out to residents.

Rennels did not return a request for comment Tuesday night.