(Austin readers -- don't forget to vote today! - promoted by Phillip Martin)
EARLY VOTING IS THIS WEEK! The following is intended to be a one-stop post for all of the information you could want for the Austin City Council races. Please let us know if we are missing any information, and feel free to share this post with any and all friends and neighbors who want to get more informed on Austin City Council races. Thanks for reading Burnt Orange Report.
ABOUT CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS - Explanation, Endorsements, Polls, Election History "There are seven members on the Austin City Council: one Mayor and six Council Members. The entire Council is elected at large by the voters of the City. Each member serves a staggered three-year term. Thus, three of the members are voted on one year, with the remaining members, including the Mayor, elected the following year. Term limits are now in place, which means the Mayor and Council Members may serve in their respective seat for a maximum of six years, or two consecutive terms."
Source: Austin City Council Other information you may want to know before learning about the candidates: |
PLACE 1 - Allen Demling, Lee Leffingwell (incumbent), Jason Meeker Allen Demling: Demling has been endorsed by the League of Bicycle Voters and is campaigning on improving transportation and making Austin the premier green technology city in the country. Though he is polling last among Place 1 candidates, Demling is focused on reaching out to promote a grassroots effort that places people and ideas above money and politics. Lee Leffingwell Leffingwell is the current incumbent for the Place 1 seat. His campaign is focused on "managing our growth in a way that protects our special quality of life" and he points to various efforts he's done in office on his website. Leffingwell has received endorsements from the Austin American-Statesman, Austin Chronicle, numerous neighborhood and environmental groups, and many more. He currently enjoys a large lead in the polls. Jason Meeker Meeker is running his first campaign, and has used a blog to communicate most of his issues and news. He received the endorsement of BATPAC and has spoken up against the Wal-Mart/Northcross Mall proposals. -----------------------------------------
PLACE 3 - Jennifer Kim (incumbent), Randi Shade, Ken WeissJennifer Kim Kim is the current incumbent of the Place 3 seat. Kim is currently polling neck-and-neck with challenger Randi Shade. Her campaign is touting her votes against the Domain and against toll roads, as well as the fact that she wouldn't accept the Council pay raise. Kim has been endorsed by the Austin Sierra Club, Austin Neighborhood Council, and many more. Disclosure: Matt Glazer, our Editor-in-Chief, currently works as Field Director for Kim's campaign. In keeping with our policies, Matt had nothing to do with the content of this post in any way whatsoever, despite what other Austin-area writers may try to tell you. Randi Shade Shade is running a campaign that often pushes back against traditional rules of local Austin campaigning. Her campaign has challenged the absolute positions of several key local issues (toll roads, Barton Springs) while promoting fresh dialogue among the community. Shade has received endorsements from the Austin American-Statesman, local public safety groups (police, fire, EMS), and more. Ken Weiss
Weiss is running third behind Kim and Shade. His website is bare of any biography, issues, or support, though our community member Daniella Sneal has written a post about his issues. Otherwise, I have not read or seen much else about Weiss. -----------------------------------------
PLACE 4 - Robin Cravey, Jennifer Gale, Cid Galindo, Laura Morrison, Sam Osemene, Ken Vasseau
Robin Cravey
Cravey has a long history with Austin City Council politics, being once named the top Council aide. He's an ardent environmentalist, and has won the endorsements of the Austin American-Statesman (as well as the endorsement of BOR). The only poll in the field showed Cravey more or less tied in a three-way race with Cid Galindo and Laura Morrison. Jennifer Gale
Gale is a perennial candidate for office in Austin and Texas politics. According to her Wikipedia page, she has promised to bring an NFL team to Austin if she's elected, and her favorite movies are Tootsie and Mrs. Doubtfire.
Cid Galindo
Galindo is running for City Council to help promote responsible growth for the community. He's served as Director of Cartias of Austin, Director of the Downtown Austin Alliance, and on the City of Austin Planning Commission as its Comprehensive Plan Committee Chair and Commissioner. His endorsements include the Austin Board of Realtors and local public safety groups (police, fire, EMS). According to the only poll in the field, he's currently running more or less tied with Cravey and Morrison. Laura Morrison
Morrison has served as President of the Austin Neighborhood Council and has earned the endorsement of 22 Austin-area groups, as well as the Austin Chronicle. Morrison's strength among the community -- as evidenced by her numerous local endorsements -- rests in her experience managing and working with numerous groups across the community. She is more or less tied for first place with Cravey and Galindo, according to the only poll in the field. Disclosure: Matt Glazer, our Editor-in-Chief, is currently doing internet strategy for Morrison's campaign. In keeping with our policies, Matt had nothing to do with the content of this post in any way whatsoever, despite what other Austin-area writers may try to tell you. Sam Osemene Osemene works as a parole officer for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. His campaign is focused on larger-vision issues, such as the nature of governance, liberty and freedom, and rule of law. If elected to City Council, he's pledged to enact tax cuts to encourage citizens to invest more, thus driving economic growth. Ken Vasseau Vasseau is an Austin real estate agent. He maintains a MySpace page that states that his top issues include issuing municpal bonds at low rate to help with fire, EMS, and police services, and fighting crime in the Northcross Mall area. He also is opposed to toll roads.
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