| There's a municipal election this May, but you probably wouldn't know it if you weren't paying close attention. That's because what might have been an exciting election season with the opportunity to oust two of the council members that voted to keep our elections in May has instead turned into a bit of a snooze-fest with no real challengers announced against any of the incumbents.
Nevertheless, Lee Leffingwell is clearly taking nothing for granted as he seeks his second term as Mayor. His campaign has been working hard since November to rack up supporters, endorsements, and the all-too-important campaign war chest necessary to mount a strong re-election effort. Leffingwell has remained active in the community since he was elected, so it's no surprise to see such a broad and deep list of Austinites supporting the Mayor.
This past week, Leffingwell published his public supporter list on his website, and announced an impressive fundraising haul through the end of 2011. The supporter list, available here, is impressive in not only its size (500 and growing) but also in its scale, featuring notable current and former elected officials, city board and commission members, and a wide range of community activists. Not only has Leffingwell been endorsed by his 2009 opponent Brewster McCracken (and McCracken's #1 supporter, Alamo Drafthouse impresario Tim League), he also shows a broad range of support from people who backed both Randi Shade and Kathie Tovo in the last municipal election. Tovo's treasurer Joe Pinelli is on the list, as is former council member Jennifer Kim.
Perhaps the only thing larger than Leffingwell's supporter list is his fundraising haul: an impressive $87,624, with $80,000 cash on hand. That's pretty solid for a campaign that is hampered by antiquated contribution limits of $350 per individual, which, I will note, make running a professional campaign that focuses on voters outside of the traditional city electorate nearly impossible, unless your entire staff can work essentially for free, or you can self-fund to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Today Leffingwell announced the endorsements of the Police, Fire, and EMS employee associations as well. The public safety organizations backed up their support with a full-page ad in today's Austin Chronicle touting not only Leffingwell's accomplishments but the impressive achievements of our city as a whole. Download the ad here. Here's the statistics the ad sites about Austin under the leadership of Leffingwell:
- Kiplinger's Personal Finance called Austin "the best city for the next decade." (June 2010)
- Austin is #2 on Forbes' list of America's Most Innovative Cities. (May 2010)
- Austin ranked first for best economic recovery in the U.S. according to Forbes.com. (March 2010)
- Portfolio.com places Austin at the top of the list for "Small Business Vitality Rankings 2010." (January 2010)
- Austin ranked #1 among the nation's 10 best places for young adults. (Portfolio.com, May 2010)
- Portfolio.com lists Austin in the top 10 for Best Quality of Life. (May 2010)
- Austin ranks "low" for Rate of Home Foreclosures according to RealtyTrac's Year-End 2009 Metropolitan Foreclosure Market Report. (January 2010)
- Austin ranks #2 among Best Places to Retire & Row in the U.S. (RowingandCulling.com, January 2010)
- Grubb and Ellis rank Austin "Best City to Invest in Commercial Real Estate." (January 2010)
- Austin is the 9th Easiest City to Find a Job according to Juju.com's Job Search Difficulty Index. (January 2010)
- Austin ranks #2 on Forbes' List of Cities Recovering from the Foreclosure Crisis. (December 2009)
As Leffingwell likes to say, if there was a list of cities on lists, we'd be on it, and probably ranked #1!
Meanwhile, former council member Brigid Shea still seems to be circling around a potential mayoral campaign. She filed a treasurer's report with little fanfare back in December, the same day that a poll on municipal issues went out to voters around Austin. However, Shea reported only $4,200 raised from a handful of donors. I hear constant rumors that the campaign is struggling to hire staff. And with so much support already behind Leffingwell, it's tough to see how Shea pulls together a winning coalition.
Let's be clear: challenging an incumbent mayor is very different than challenging an incumbent council member. To say that the Mayor needs to be ousted--and to support the ouster of said Mayor with time and or money--is to suggest that the fundamentals of our city are not strong and that we are in need of serious change at the top. People who want to support a campaign for the sake of "giving voters a choice" or simply because they need clients are nevertheless suggesting that things are going wrong in Austin. And looking at the list above of Austin's accomplishments, it's hard to take the suggestion that things are going in a bad direction very seriously.
Leffingwell ran in 2009 on a platform of focusing on the fundamentals, and he's definitely kept City Hall's eye on the ball. At the same time, he's helped oversee tremendous job growth, especially in biotechnology and information technology, two forward-looking industries that represent long-term potential here in Austin.
While people may disagree with Leffingwell on a few individual votes, his overall record speaks to a balanced approach to meeting the wide range of needs of folks in Austin. Leffingwell's job growth numbers are particularly impressive, with over 2,200 new jobs relocated or created here in Austin during his first term. It's easy to criticize the mayor when you're an independently wealthy gadfly that doesn't actually depend on sustainable job creation at all income levels. It's a lot harder to actually do the work of bringing jobs to Austin in a way that protects taxpayer resources and provides a diverse range of opportunities for our growing city.
The full press release from Leffingwell's campaign is below the jump. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if anyone will actually take the plunge against the Mayor, and what rationale for replacing our successful city leader they might muster. |
Mayor Lee Leffingwell Launches Campaign Website, Reports Contributions
Austin, Texas - Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell today released his first list of re-election campaign supporters, launched his campaign website, and reported fundraising figures covering the campaign's first six weeks.
Leffingwell's initial supporter list includes more than 500 diverse community leaders. Notable endorsers include Texas Senator Kirk Watson; Texas State Representatives Mark Strama, Eddie Rodriguez and Donna Howard; Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamilton; AISD Trustees Mark Williams, Annette LoVoi, Sam Guzman and Tamala Barksdale; former Austin Mayors Pro Tem John Trevino, Danny Thomas, and Betty Dunkerley; and former Austin mayors Will Wynn, Gus Garcia, Bruce Todd, Lee Cooke, Ron Mullen and Frank Cooksey. Also endorsing Leffingwell is his main opponent in the 2009 mayoral race, former Austin Mayor Pro Tem Brewster McCracken.
The supporter list, as well as a synopsis of Leffingwell's first-term accomplishments and goals for a second term, can be found at www.LeffingwellForMayor.com.
Leffingwell said another major endorsement announcement is planned for Thursday.
Leffingwell also released fundraising figures covering the first reporting period of the campaign, from November 16th - the day Leffingwell announced his campaign - through December 31st. During this six-week time period, Leffingwell raised just over $2,000 per day, for a total of $87,624. With expenses to date of $7,608, Leffingwell has just over $80,000 cash left on hand. In his 2009 mayoral race, Leffingwell raised nearly $280,000.
"I'm excited and encouraged by the strong early support for our campaign," said Mayor Leffingwell. "While we don't yet have an opponent, we are campaigning as if we do. I'm talking every day with Austin voters about our accomplishments and plans for the future, and I'm optimistic that our record and our vision will be well received in May."
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