As Mayor-elect Kirk Watson prepares to assume his third term, he’s chosen to stick to his campaign messaging: He wants to cut down on the red tape involved in the development process, work across the ideological spectrum and play the role of elder statesman for the city. “I want to start this term governing from […]
Sean Saldaña
Posted inCity Council
In D9, Qadri wants to ensure ‘an abundance of affordable housing’
Just past 10 p.m. on Dec. 13, after a night frantically pacing around the Whip In shaking hands, posing for pictures and checking on election updates, Zohaib Qadri – more commonly known as Zo – felt comfortable declaring victory in the District 9 race for City Council. His win, by just 343 votes, was the […]
Posted inElections
Anthony Bradshaw wants ‘to see an Austin, Texas, that is successful’
On Oct. 18, KVUE and the Austin American-Statesman livestreamed a debate that included all six of the candidates running for mayor. The 90-minute affair included questions about Austin’s pressing issues – affordability, homelessness, policing and transit – as well as questions about each candidate’s personality, priorities and objectives. At one point in the debate, the […]
Posted inElections
Gary Spellman looks to disrupt Austin politics
With hair to his shoulders, an aggressive distaste for politics and officially $0 raised, Gary Spellman is hardly what one imagines when envisioning a typical candidate for elected office – something he embraces wholeheartedly. Recounting an interaction, he says, “I told them I don’t want to be a politician. And they all laughed and go, […]
Posted inElections
Kirk Watson, a ‘fixture’ of Central Texas, wants to be mayor again
The way Kirk Watson tells it, his career in public office started with bad news. After working behind the scenes in Texas Democratic politics and in the state bureaucracy for a few years, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in his mid-30s. A few years later, after a successful treatment, returning to work, another cancer scare, […]
Posted inWhispers
Long-odds candidate puts ‘people over profits’
With a campaign focused on affordability, District 9 City Council candidate Zena Mitchell has many of the same talking points as her competitors, but differs in one key aspect of her messaging – she’s made the decision to avoid fundraising large amounts of money, leaning into her slogan “people over profits.” Campaign finance reports from July […]
Posted inElections
Virden positions herself as the ‘common-sense’ candidate for mayor
Jennifer Virden is about as much of an Austinite as someone can be. Born and raised in Northwest Hills, she’s eager to tell potential constituents how she went to Doss Elementary, that she’s an Anderson Trojan, and that she holds a degree in finance from the University of Texas at Austin. She’s spent her entire […]
Posted inElections
District 9 Council candidates chat with the ‘Monitor’: Part II
Read Part I of the series here. Linda Guerrero brings to the table an institutional knowledge of parks and environmental issues, along with expertise on affordability and transportation more broadly. In addition to being an AISD teacher for nearly three decades, she’s also spent time on the Environmental Commission and the Parks and Recreation Board, two […]
Posted inLocal Politics
District 9 City Council candidates chat with the ‘Monitor’: Part I
Read Part II of the series here. With Council Member Kathie Tovo term-limited and six candidates who have raised more than $25,000 so far, District 9 is thought to be one of the more competitive races this local election season. One consequence of that competition: It can be difficult for voters to differentiate the candidates, […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Celia Israel seeks to be a progressive voice for Austin
Celia Israel announced her run for mayor early, on January 11, almost a full 10 months before election day. She said her motivation to run was her desire to tackle the biggest issues facing Austin today: affordability and transportation. Israel is no newcomer to politics. First elected to Texas House District 50 in 2014, she’s […]
Posted inElections
Phil Brual, the UT Austin student running for mayor
On Nov. 8, Austin will elect a new mayor, and already a number of high-profile candidates have entered the race. And among those candidates is Phil Brual, a 21-year-old University of Texas student born and raised in Austin. In many ways, Brual’s campaign mirrors that of his competitors – focusing on issues like affordability, public […]
Posted inAustin
As the pandemic drags on, 24/7 dining makes a return to Austin
Last month, Bennu Coffee was able to reach a milestone it had been after for months: resuming the 24/7 hours of operation it had gained a reputation for among Austinites. At the moment, only Bennu’s Highland location is open around the clock, but owners Stephanie and Steve Williams are already making plans to open up […]