Another District 7 candidate enters the race

Former Planning Commission Chair Todd Shaw has thrown his hat into the ring for the soon-to-be-empty District 7 seat. Shaw will be the fifth candidate vying for the City Council chair, which is up for grabs for the first time as incumbent Leslie Pool will not be running again. According to a press release from the campaign, Shaw will prioritize more housing and housing options with an emphasis on consensus and collaboration. In addition, Shaw said in a statement to the press, “We must improve our infrastructure in a way that prepares for the changing climate such as increased flooding, drought, and wildfires with a focus on protecting the most vulnerable populations. Infrastructure resiliency is not a very exciting topic, but it will be the top public safety concern in Austin and other major cities in the years to come. My environmental and construction experience will provide missing expertise on Council to address this issue.” Also running for the position are Texas Housers’ Edwin Bautista; Pierre Nguyễn, a Public Safety and Asian American Quality of Life commissioner, firefighter and EMT; Adam Powell, a union organizer and SAFE Alliance board member; and former congressional Democratic nominee Mike Siegel, who co-founded Ground Game Texas.