After a close race, Bledsoe and Siegel share perspectives on runoff results

After what looks to be a narrow victory in Saturday’s runoff election, Mike Siegel will serve as the next representative for North Austin’s District 7. Cinching the win over opponent Gary Bledsoe by around 200 votes, Siegel will be the second Council member to represent the area since the creation of the current district representation system in 2014. To date, the district has been represented by outgoing Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool.

Out of a crowded initial field of six candidates, Siegel and Bledsoe snagged the most votes for the District 7 seat on Nov. 5, although neither managed to obtain a majority. The weeks leading up to Saturday’s runoff became increasingly heated as the two candidates focused their communications on their differences and sources of support and funding.

Siegel, a former assistant city attorney and co-founder of Ground Game Texas, obtained around 40 percent of the vote during the November election. He first gained name recognition during two prior attempts to unseat U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul. Siegel told the Austin Monitor in November that during the runoff he would be focusing on reconnecting with voters about his experience as an organizer and at City Hall.

In communications leading up to Saturday, Siegel emphasized how his experience standing up to conservative state leaders like Ken Paxton and Greg Abbott would be especially relevant over the next four years. “Frankly, given the national news – it’s more important than ever that we have strong progressive representation on the Austin City Council,” he told voters in a November newsletter.

“This victory is a testament to the wonderful coalition we built that worked tirelessly to get out the vote and win support in a very difficult runoff environment. We collectively knocked on nearly 35,000 doors in the runoff election alone and had thousands of conversations with District 7 voters,” Siegel told the Monitor on Sunday morning. “My campaign ran on a platform that is pro-housing, pro-climate, pro-justice and pro-labor. I firmly believe that we are a progressive community and want bold and innovative solutions to the crises our city is facing.”

Bledsoe, a civil rights attorney and the former president of the Texas NAACP, entered the District 7 race later than other candidates, but still snagged 19 percent of the general vote in November. As an Austin resident since the 1970s, Bledsoe told voters he was prepared to ensure working Austinites could afford to stay in their homes and bolster the city’s climate resilience. He would have been the first local Black candidate to represent an area that was not historically represented by someone of color.

Bledsoe branded himself as a candidate who would speak up and push back, rather than plug in, at City Hall. He told the Monitor in November that he would advocate for good governance and commonsense policies in the face of backdoor politics and increased billionaire interest in the city.

Bledsoe said he was disappointed but described running for office as one of the most wonderful experiences of his life.

“It was clear with the small margin in the race that the people of Austin understood our issues and embraced them. … I’m hoping that the issues that we raised … will be part of the fabric of discussion in public policy going forward,” he told the Monitor on Saturday night. “It’s obvious that a large percentage of Austin … shares our view.”

Bledsoe said he plans to stay involved with the district.

“We created a real organic movement,” he said. “I think it can become a popular force for our city … and I will support it in whatever way that I can.”

Siegel told the Monitor he plans to spend this month resting and building his staff.

“My future colleagues are leading on a lot of important issues, and I look forward to putting my shoulder to the wheel to support the work they are doing,” he said.

Siegel will take office in early January, alongside Council members-elect Krista Laine (District 6) and Marc Duchen (District 10).

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