Seventeen candidates are running to represent Austin’s City Council districts in November. Districts 2, 4, 6, 7 and 10 are all on the ballot.
KUT has put together a guide on the candidates. We asked them to come to our studio to tell us where they stand on three big issues: housing, transit and homelessness. Twelve of them were able to participate. You can find those videos below.
Not sure which district you’re in? Check out this map.
The mayor is also part of the council, and five candidates are running for that position. You can learn more about that race here.
Want to go straight to your district’s candidates? Click the links below:
Note: We invited all candidates to record these videos as a way to introduce themselves to potential voters. We didn’t fact-check their statements, and we don’t endorse their positions.
District 2
Vanessa Fuentes
Vanessa Fuentes is the current council member for District 2. She won her seat in 2020; before that, she worked for the American Heart Association, the Texas House of Representatives and various political campaigns, according to her LinkedIn. In her bid for reelection, she has pointed to a few different achievements from her time on the council, including raising the minimum wage for city workers and creating a recovery center for victims of violent crime. Here’s her campaign website.
Fuentes wasn’t available in the time frame for filming the video.
Robert Reynolds
Robert Reynolds lists himself as an instructor on his ballot application; in an interview with the Austin Bulldog, he said he works for Capital Metro. He doesn’t appear to have a campaign website. KUT reached out for an interview but didn’t hear back.
District 4
Louis Herrin
Louis Herrin is an environmental engineer at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. His top priorities listed on his website include supporting the camping ban in Austin and opposing defunding the police.
Monica Guzmán
Monica Guzmán is a community organizer and the policy director at Go Austin/Vamos Austin, an advocacy group for residents of Austin’s Eastern Crescent. Her platform includes social justice reform, disaster preparedness and anti-gentrification.
Eduardo "Lalito" Romero
Eduardo Romero lists his job as “university staff” on his ballot application. He doesn’t appear to have a campaign website, but he told the League of Women Voters that his priorities include cutting taxes and investing in city infrastructure. KUT reached out for an interview but didn’t hear back.
José ''Chito'' Vela
Chito Vela is the current council member for District 4. He was first elected to the position in 2022; before that, he was an immigration and criminal defense lawyer. He supports building different types of affordable housing, investing in green spaces and making it easier to bike and use public transit. Learn more about his positions on his campaign website.
Jim Rabuck
Jim Rabuck describes himself as a federal employee for the Department of Defense on his ballot application. He also served in the U.S. Army, according to an interview with the Austin American-Statesman. He doesn’t seem to have a campaign website. KUT reached out for an interview but didn’t hear back. He told Community Impact his priorities include creating public-private partnerships to address transportation and housing issues, and raising wages for police to bolster recruitment.
District 6
Krista Laine
Krista Laine is the co-founder of Access Education RRISD, an advocacy group for Round Round ISD parents that has campaigned for public school funding and against school vouchers in local elections. She has also worked as a real estate appraiser. Her priorities include housing affordability, safer streets and investments in parks and libraries.
Mackenzie Kelly
Mackenzie Kelly is the current council member for District 6. She won the seat in 2020; before that, she worked with several local emergency response groups. She describes herself as a police and public safety advocate and is the only Republican currently on the council. Here’s her campaign website.
District 7
Gary L. Bledsoe
Gary Bledsoe is a civil rights attorney and the president of the Texas NAACP. His work helped establish the use of video cameras in Austin police cars, according to his campaign website. His priorities include dismantling systemic racism, supporting affordable housing while preventing displacement, and reducing excessive force by police. KUT reached out for an interview but didn’t hear back.
Pierre Huy Nguyễn
Pierre Nguyễn has worked as a firefighter, EMT and member of the U.S. Coast Guard. His priorities include investing in community policing, expanding transitional housing, and supporting urban farms and community gardens. His full platform is on his website.
Todd Shaw
Todd Shaw has worked as a planning commissioner for District 7 and as an engineer for Austin Energy. His platform, available on his website, includes investing in Austin’s infrastructure to make it more resilient to climate change, overhauling the city’s land development code, and protecting and expanding parks.
Edwin Bautista
Edwin Bautista is a planner for a grant management company with a background in housing and transportation. His platform includes supporting Project Connect, strengthening tenant rights and increasing oversight of the council. His voting record is also available on his website.
Mike Siegel
Mike Siegel is the co-founder of Ground Game Texas, a progressive political nonprofit that has advocated for marijuana decriminalization and minimum wage increases, among other things. He has also worked as a teacher and an attorney for the City of Austin. His website spotlights his plan for addressing climate change in Austin, which includes closing the Fayette coal plant, supporting Project Connect and creating a public bank.
Adam Powell
Adam Powell has worked in a mix of industries, including at a charter school network and the Texas Education Agency, according to his LinkedIn. He has also volunteered with advocacy groups like the Shoal Creek Conservancy and Rethink35, which opposes the I-35 expansion in Austin. His priorities include supporting musicians and small businesses, investing in car-free transit options and remodeling Austin Energy to prevent power outages.
District 10
Marc Duchen
Marc Duchen has worked in tech and for several political organizations, including the Texas Democratic Party. His priorities include increased public input on major projects, regular financial audits, bonds for parks and funding for emergency responders. Find more details on his website.
Ashika Ganguly
Ashika Ganguly is the legislative director for Democratic Rep. John Bucy in the Texas House of Representatives. She has also worked as an Austin ISD teacher. Her priorities include accessible child care, recruitment and retention of first responders, and enforcement of traffic laws. Find her platform on her website.
