Siegel and Bledsoe face off for District 7 seat

Early voting is underway to determine the next City Council member who will serve North Central Austin’s District 7. In November, none of the six candidates earned more than half of the vote, so the top two candidates are now on the ballot again. Mike Siegel, who won just under 40 percent (13,681 votes) in November, faces Gary Bledsoe, who won just over 19 percent (6,624 votes) in the Dec. 14 runoff election.

Gary Bledsoe

Gary Bledsoe, a civil rights attorney and former president of the Texas NAACP, differs from outgoing Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool when it comes to land use. Bledsoe says he will advocate for the creation of “diverse and affordable housing options” but believes District 7 deserved better when it came to the recent HOME reforms, which he says were rushed and involved too many unknowns. Referencing the hours of public testimony before each of the recent HOME votes, he told the Austin Monitor he was concerned residents of color were not being heard. “HOME will address providing more homes pursuant to a free market system, but the empirical data is overwhelming that this will not include those below 80 percent (of Austin’s Median Family Income).”

On election night, Bledsoe spoke to the Monitor and elaborated on his perspective on the amendments: “I’m not against HOME. … I was for HOME plus. We need to have more density, but we need to do so with common sense.” His concerns about the recent amendments included the potential for unnecessary burdens on our infrastructure, the creation of additional heat islands, and a lack of guaranteed affordable housing. Bledsoe told the Monitor that, if elected, he will work to ensure that young people, working people and musicians can afford to stay in their homes.

Bledsoe boasts an impressive resume when it comes to civil rights advocacy and public safety reform. As a UT Law alum and the former acting dean of the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, he says he has spent most of his life fighting for equal rights. In Austin, he has coordinated efforts to improve police transparency, including installing video cameras in APD vehicles. Bledsoe told the Monitor he is running to “restore lost integrity and commitment to open government” at City Hall.

If elected, Bledsoe says he is committed to implementing Austin’s Climate Equity Plan, and to identifying other potential funding sources to improve Austin’s climate resiliency, including climate bond initiatives and leveraging funding from the Inflation Reduction Act.

Bledsoe also promises to prioritize equity for working people in Austin, especially creatives and families earning below the median income. “We want our teachers, state workers, individuals on fixed incomes, artists, musicians and others to be able to live here,” he told the Monitor. Bledsoe believes this is a “watershed moment” for the city: “Either we will keep Austin special or we will not.”

On election night, Bledsoe added that he will be a “watchdog” on Council: “I’m the (candidate) that’s been the most vigilant about … the Open Meetings Act violations and the mistreatment of citizens when they go to speak before Council. … I’m one that will resist and push back and try to provide the community with a voice that it doesn’t have right now.”

Mike Siegel

Mike Siegel is best known for his two attempts to unseat incumbent Michael McCaul to represent Texas’ 10th Congressional District. Siegel, a former public school teacher and assistant city attorney, also brings extensive experience as an organizer and civil rights advocate. He co-founded Ground Game Texas, an organization that has advocated for the decriminalization of marijuana and led the city’s lawsuit against Greg Abbott in response to the Senate bill banning sanctuary cities in 2017. Siegel says these experiences will enable him to work effectively across the dais, particularly when progressive city policies are challenged by the Texas Legislature.

If elected, Siegel’s highest priority will be climate action through accelerated decarbonization and justice for the communities most impacted by the climate crisis. His climate proposals include the rapid closure of the Fayette Power Project and the expansion of Austin’s Civilian Conservation Corps, a green workforce program created by City Council. He would also support efforts to keep local farms in business and form creative partnerships to address food insecurity in Austin.

In tandem with his plans for climate action, Siegel brands himself a pro-labor candidate. While working in the City Attorney’s Office, he co-wrote the city’s paid sick leave ordinance. Siegel said he believes caring for Austin workers is key to implementing transformational change, especially when it comes to climate resilience.

“I’ve heard time and time again that local workers are forced to move into the ‘donut’ of suburban communities around Austin instead of living inside the city itself. … We need to help reverse this exodus – and take positive climate action – by creating more good-paying union jobs, building more infill housing that is affordable for working families, and building a public transit system that can take people off the roads and lower transportation costs for families.”

Siegel told the Monitor he also intends to prioritize public safety.

“From my conversations with voters, I’ve heard three themes on public safety: 1) we want police to come when we call; 2) we want police to respect civil rights; and 3) we want the city to invest in a broad array of programs to promote public safety, not just officers with guns.”

During his election night celebration at Lala’s Little Nugget, Siegel said his challenge for the runoff was to reconnect with the voters he had already talked to.

“My pitch to voters is that I have both the organizing experience and the City Hall experience,” he added. “In a variety of ways, I’ve brought people together for popular, progressive causes. But I’ve also been in the building (City Hall).

“I think voters responded to my background as someone who advocated for democratic causes, … someone who’s challenged (Ken) Paxton and (Greg) Abbott,” Siegel told the Monitor. “People want someone who’s going to stand up for progressive values.”

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Posted In: Elections, District 7