More candidates enter race in districts 8 and 9

Kimberly Hawkins entered the City Council District 8 race with the filing of a campaign treasurer appointment on July 11. She was not required to file a campaign finance report last week because she joined the race after the filing deadline and she has chosen a modified reporting option by promising not to collect or spend more than $940. Hawkins told the Austin Monitor that the incumbent, Paige Ellis, has not been responsive to her constituents. She added that she and her friends are tired of watching “Austin being overrun with real estate development” and complained about the high cost of living in the city. Suzanne “Zena” Mitchell, who goes by Zena, is a recent addition to the District 9 list of candidates. She said her campaign “is about people over profits,” and that her major concern is that Austin is not affordable anymore. She lives in the Mueller neighborhood. Like Hawkins, Mitchell signed the pledge to collect and spend no more than $940 on her campaign.