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."
These are our 2008 endorsements. Click here for our current 2009 endorsements.
Burnt Orange Report offers up the following endorsements based upon a weighted consensus of its editorial board. Those working for or with personal conflicts in any given races have recused themselves.
The Big Picture: We will be honest in saying that our decision making process for the Austin City Council races is, in large part, not based upon specific issues, votes, developments, or ballot questions that have come before the council. While important, the greatest challenge the city council has faced in recent years is its evolution into a mediocre, consensus driven body, often bereft of the passion, hope, and big-city vision which powers its citizens and creative economy on a daily basis. This is not to say that every member must be a champion or an advocate- it is just to say that an occasional clash of ideas based upon personal philosophy rather than personal politics would be nice.
This said, the weighted consensus of our staff recommends the following candidates.
Three years ago, Lee Leffingwell came into office as Austin's Place 1 city councilman with scattered and ineffective opposition. In two weeks, he will return to the dais in similar fashion.
Rarely taking the limelight as others are prone to do on council, Leffingwell has served Austin well enough, working the system behind the scenes to effect positive change for the city. We appreciate his efforts towards a greener, more sustainable Austin through less-flashy programs and development. He leads more than he follows on council and serves as fatherly (and at times grandfatherly) voice of reason and consensus. The council needs a steady hand and Leffingwell provides one.
But it is for many of these same reasons that this endorsement (and others by local publications) appear to be lacking in energy. Leffingwell's calm demeanor makes him an affable candidate, difficult to run against, but equally difficult to promote. If he hopes to be Austin's mayor someday, we hope he injects his campaign and leadership style with the energy that is effervescent among the city council electorate.
As to his opponents? Allen Demling is entertaining and smart. He promotes a positive pro-Austin campaign that is overshadowed by the fact he's had his campaign turned into a caricature. Jason Meeker is driven and aggressive, a stark contrast to the incumbent, but has been stymied by the fact that few outside of his activist world see his campaign as anything but a personal single-issue soapbox.
Like much of Austin, our staff is split in this race, our Editor's employment on behalf of Jennifer Kim notwithstanding (and not included). The split is for good reason between two good candidates. As mentioned in our preface, the council needs more passionate voices, and either candidate has proven to us that they will provide that on the dais.
Incumbent Jennifer Kim has been an independent voice and vote on the city council, opposing the consensus at times, and occasionally as a minority of one. While some decry her votes as political, we appreciate any member who is willing to stand on their own two feet and think for themselves on council business. She has worked toward solutions for small businesses, affordable housing, and issues affecting neighborhoods. While difficult to satisfy the political needs of the highly diverse Asian-American community in Austin, the council and community are better served by her representation. We support a council diverse not only in opinion, but in ethnic make-up given it's current all at-large configuration.
Randi Shade, as Kim's primary challenger, has been up-front in saying this race is between her and the incumbent. Shade, as a business owner and woman, will retain representation for those groups on council, but if elected would give Austin's large gay and lesbian population a voice in city government. Open, energetic, and bright- Shade carries little pretense with a personality and work-style that will engage positive discussion among parties with business before the council. While some may be wary of her resistance to be pinned down on hypothetical specifics, we see this as her recognition of the complexity of governance. Shade's admission that sometimes the best answer is not a quick answer does contrast with her opponent, who at times has given more than one answer to issues in her first term on council.
In an ideal world, there would be a place for both Kim and Shade on the council. We endorse both of their campaigns.
Perhaps the most interesting debate over the future of Austin is represented by the candidates running for Place 4. Every known (and unknown in the case of Ken Vasseau) community of interest is represented in some form of fashion here. From development to neighborhoods to environmentalism to urban planning to sheer entertainment- voters have the choice of any of the above in this election.
But one candidate stands above the rest in blending the balance of qualities we seek in a councilmember- Robin Cravey. Independently (and unbeknownst to each other) our staff collectively settled upon Cravey as our one choice among six in this race.
His personal history is as diverse as it is long in Austin. It arcs across touchstones of our community- from Friends of Barton Springs to Save Our Springs, from the Zilker Neighborhood Association to the Zilker Elementary PTA, from the Daily Texan to Ecology in Texas and Tilted Planet Press. Cravey is no stranger to city politics having hands on experience with the Planning Commission, Councilmember Daryl Slusher, and Mayor Pro Tem Max Nofziger and his Democratic credentials are some of the most visible in the field.
His bio aside, Cravey's vision is rooted in Austin's environmental movement. He has a sincere desire to see growth occur in a manner consistent with those natural values. Cravey isn't interested in capturing the city in a morass of NIMBYism (or letting it run wild with unfettered development). His campaign may not have the most money or the most consultants, but it has far and away the most unique, down to earth engaging candidate. We believe it's time for that to matter again in Austin's cookie cutter council campaigns.
Robin Cravey embodies the spirit and essence of Austin. We enthusiastically endorse him for Place 4.
The Statesman's editorial board announced their endorsements for the Austin City Council races late Saturday afternoon on their website. Their endorsement for Leffingwell was lukewarm -- nothing that really stood out as a headline sentence. Here is a brief clip from their endorsement for each of the two hotly contested races:
Place 3 - Randi Shade
The Statesman wrote a glowing endorsement for Shade. Her endorsement was as powerful as Leffingwell's was timid. Hard to pick a highlight, but I think this was it:
Shade, 41, is a proven leader. That quality is needed on a council being pulled in several directions at once. Shade is the kind of doer who can help the council focus on important issues during an economic slowdown.
Place 4 - Robin Cravey
Their endorsement for Cravey was equally positive:
Cravey has the edge because of his knowledge of city issues from his previous service at City Hall...He knows how the council works and thoroughly understands the thorny issues - particularly budget matters - facing Austin. Cravey is savvy, seasoned and sensible, and strong on environmental issues.
Tomorrow, we'll have an extended resource page (something I was working on when I came across the Statesman endorsements) regarding the Austin City Council Races, for which early voting begins on Monday. Be sure and check back then for more information on the races.
After much deliberation and careful consideration, Clean Water Action and Texas Vote Environment have endorsed the following candidates for Austin City Council, 2008:
Place 1: Lee Leffingwell
Place 3: Jennifer Kim
Place 4: Dual endorsement: Robin Cravey and Laura Morrison
I'm not sure if the place 4 endorsement was driven more out of endorsing the credible non-Cid Galindo candidates, or a hedge on endorsing the (no longer) frontrunner Laura Morrison and environ Robin Cravey.
(Robin and his buttons were everywhere at our BOR 5th Birthday Bash last night. His birthday party is Saturday. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Saturday, April 26th
South Austin restaurant and live music venue Jovita's 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Entertainment provided by The Regulars
Suggested donation $25 (all welcomed)
Sponsorships: $100, $200, $300
It was great seeing everyone at the Burnt Orange Report birthday party last night. Since the early 1970's I've enjoyed drinking beer with the progressive crowd at Scholtz's.
I am also going to be celebrating my birthday this weekend at Jovita's and I hope you will join me. Being the only candidate in the place 4 race from South Austin, we'll be celebrating at Jovita's on South First. A band Jane and I both love, The Regulars, will be providing us with South Austin style music. Before the campaign, we used to go hear them every Friday evening at the Saxon Pub (if you know Jane and me, you'll know how rare it is for us to agree on music!).
(Bumped. This came out last Friday afternoon so many of our weekday readers may have missed it. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Earlier I promoted a post regarding some poll results in the Austin City Council races conducted by the Capital Area Asian American Democrats (consider making a donation to them to cover the cost of the poll like I did). I received word that the results were slightly off as they were the raw numbers prior to being weighted to the electorate.
I have posted the official poll results below. The changes are marginal but do reflect a lower level of undecided voters across the board and Robin Cravey swaps positions with Jennifer Gale in Place 4.
Here are the actual poll results.
IVR Polls surveyed 517 likely City Council voters on April 16. The survey's margin of error is +/- 4.3%.
Place 1
Lee Leffingwell 37.5%
Jason Meeker 13.7%
Allen Demling 3.9%
Undecided 44.9%
Place 3
Randi Shade 26.4%
Jennifer Kim 24.9%
Ken Weiss 11.3%
Undecided 37.4%
Place 4
Cid Galindo 11.9%
Laura Morrison 10.3%
Robin Cravey 10.2%
Jennifer Gale 8.0%
Ken Vasseau 4.8%
Sam Osemene 4.8%
Undecided 50.0%
We don't usually have an opportunity to see a poll like this so what does it tell us? First off, according to the pollster, these respondents are those who self-identified themselves as planning to vote in the city elections, so the undecideds, while high, are not inflated by unlikely voters.
That said- it's clear that these races are very fluid and voter contact via TV, Radio, and Mail will play a large role in the next 3 weeks.
In Place 1, Leffingwell clearly has an established lead with Meeker having to work to get beyond his base if he's to have any chance. This concurs with the wideheld assumption that Leffingwell is headed to victory without a runoff.
In Place 3, a statistical tie exists and while always predicted to be a hard fought race, I wouldn't have guessed that Shade would have had this level of support prior to entering the paid media phase of the campaign (which against an incumbent is a place she's probably happy to be in). Still, it's anyone game, but unless Kim or Shade is able to boost their margins, they'll be going head to head until the June runoff and a long campaign and smaller electorate could shift the electoral dynamics.
In Place 4, it is clear that the lack of an incumbent has the race wide open for whom is going to face off in a June runoff. Morrison, having won the lion's share of endorsements and some of the city's better consultants, does not have the poll numbers to back up what many had perceived to be frontrunner status. There is a clear separation of the field in this place with Gale providing the dividing line of those who are contenders and those who are not; Gale, of course, being in a class of her own.
Also, people may have underestimated the power that a Hispanic surname has, even in city elections (note- he has done some tv already). Combine that with a candidate likely to pick up the moderate to center-right city voters, and we may be dealing with a battle between Morrison and Cravey for which progressive will get to take on Cid Galindo in a runoff. Still, the race has the most undecided voters and is wide open so there is a reasonable chance that we get a Morrison-Cravey runoff that makes Austin lefties a little less anxious.
Share your own thoughts in the comments. The poll script is in the extended entry.
Yesterday a group of 13 Democrats e-mailed me concerned about a candidate running for Austin city council. The facts check out and in a city that is progressive during a low turnout election, this is the kind of letter that could dramatically affect the outcome of the May 10th election.
An Open Letter From Concerned Travis County Democrats
April 16, 2008
It's a wonderful time to be a Democrat! The interest in the March 4th primary was amazing. Whether you were a Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton supporter, it was clear that America wants a change in direction and is looking to the Democratic Party for new leadership!
Though we've been focused on the national scene, we are fast approaching another crucial election right here in Austin. This May we will be voting on three places on the Austin City Council. The winners will have a major impact on the future of our city.
Our city elections are non-partisan, but the personal integrity and political values of the candidates are no less important here at home than they are at the national level.
That's why we are writing to you as concerned Democrats. Even though the winds of change are blowing, old style political spin is still alive and well in Austin.
Developer Cid Galindo, a candidate for Place 4, appears to be hiding his Republican connections. Recently he sent out a campaign e-mail with the following statement:
"Friends and Fellow Austinities,
This week I cast my ballot in the Democratic presidential primary that has captured the imagination of our nation and imbued us with a determination to turn the page and set a new course for our country"
A strong sentiment indeed and one we all might agree with. Let's look at the evidence.
When asked if he is a Democrat, Mr. Galindo has indicated he is an "independent". He may be an "independent" but a check of his voting record shows that he voted in the 2004 REPUBLICAN primary. When asked about this in Democratic forums, he claims he wanted to vote against Bush. However, there was no one running on the ballot against Bush in 2004 Primary.
When looking deeper into Mr. Galindo's political past, we found a 1995 donation of $1000, the maximum amount allowed at the time, to then GOP Senator Phil Graham.
Finally, The Galindo Group, the land development company he co-owns and serves as the president of, has prominent support for the Texas Public Policy Foundation on its web site. Financed by leading Texas Republican donor Jim Leininger, this conservative policy organization has been pushing school vouchers and attacking publicly funded education for years. Strange bedfellow indeed!
Has Cid really had a change of heart? Or is this just a clever ploy to hide his past and help him get elected in an overwhelmingly Democratic city?
All of our local Democratic Clubs have seen beyond this ploy and endorsed other candidates in this race. While this is heartening, the general public needs to see beyond the progressive veneer Mr. Galindo has been presenting.
We urge you to keep in mind the fundamental issues of honesty and integrity, as well as Austin's need for candidates with genuine records of supporting social equity, neighborhoods, our environment, and local businesses. We deserve leaders we can trust. We need to support candidates who will put the public's interest above special interests and who have a demonstrated commitment to open government and progressive values.
Carl Betancourt Former Democratic Precinct Chair
David Butts Democratic Precinct Chair
Kitty Clark Former Democratic Precinct Chair
Cecelia Crossley Former State Democratic Executive Committee Member
Richard Franklin Former President
Black Austin Democrats
Jeff Jack Former President
South Austin Democrats
Ramey Ko President
Capital Area Asian American Democrats
Donna Beth McCormick Precinct Chair and former Texas Democratic Party staff member
Elliott McFadden Former Executive Director
Travis Co. Democratic Party
Jan Soifer President
North by Northwest Democrats
Walter Timberlake Former President
South Austin Democrats
Chad Williams Former President
West Austin Democrats
Mark Yznaga Coordinator of the 2000 Democratic Coordinated Campaign
(Candidate Post: Robin Cravey is running for Austin City Council Place 4. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Dear friends,
How am I different from my opponents? As I've been campaigning around town, I'm often asked to distinguish myself from the two well-funded candidates for Place 4. Usually, I'm asked to do this in a minute or two. That's really not enough. This little essay may seem long, but there's a lot to tell, and I'm just scratching the surface.
I am the only environmentalist in the Place 4 race. Before I was 25, I had explored most of the ground the other candidates are now learning. In the 1970s I wrote about environmental issues in depth in ecology in texas, my environmental news magazine, and in the Texas Observer and other local periodicals. I helped start recycling in Austin as an early member of ecology action, and my wife and I have recycled consistently since the time when we had to load our recyclables into the trunk of a car and drive them to the recycling center.
I have worked to preserve our creeks since before SOS was conceived. I volunteered in the petition campaign for the Save Our Springs Coalition and worked as a law clerk at the SOS Legal Defense Fund. In law school, I served as a section editor for the Texas Environmental Law Journal. In my other community service work I have consistently advocated environmental protection. Two and a half years ago, when Barton Springs Pool was in deplorable condition, I served as founding president of Friends of Barton Springs Pool, which organized swimmers to volunteer to clean the pool, and persuaded the city council to budget over $6 million for short-term pool improvements and for writing a master plan for long term improvements.
