Austin, TX

All 7 Democratic lawmakers from Austin win reelection to Texas House, Senate

Published

1 year ago

November 7, 2024

All 7 Democratic lawmakers from Austin win reelection to Texas House, Senate

While Texas Republicans dominated in competitive state House and Senate races Tuesday night, all seven incumbent Democratic lawmakers from Austin emerged with clear victories and secured another term in the Legislature.

All six Texas House incumbents from Austin won reelection last night, with three of them running unopposed. Incumbent state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt was also unopposed for District 14.

Here are each of the legislators from Austin who will serve a term in the state Capitol next beginning January, as per the complete but unofficial election results:

Senate District 14: Sen. Sarah Eckhardt unopposed in reelection bid

State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, will serve in the Capitol for a second four-year term. The former Travis County judge ran unopposed in District 14 — made up of most of Austin, north to Pflugerville and much of Manor — and received over 320,000 votes, results show.

Eckhardt, an attorney who was first elected in 2020, has focused on voters’ rights, health care, water policy and criminal justice, among other issues, during her time in public office. She serves on the Senate committees for Local Government, Transportation, Nominations and Veteran Affairs.

House District 46: Rep. Sheryl Cole sails to reelection

Democratic state Rep. Sheryl Cole edged out Republican Nicki Kosich with more than 73% of the vote for House District 46, which stretches from part of East Austin to a portion of Pflugerville, and borders Elgin.

Cole, the first Black woman elected to the Austin City Council, joined the state House in 2018. The attorney by training was also Austin’s first African American female mayor pro tempore.

House District 47: Rep. Vikki Goodwin bests GOP challenger

A third-term Democrat, state Rep. Vikki Goodwin took 60% of the vote against Republican challenger Scott Firsing to continue representing Bee Cave and some Lake Travis communities in District 47.

The small-business owner and real estate broker passed a drowning prevention law in 2023, and she has also passed legislation creating the Texas Food Security and Resiliency Council.

House District 48: Rep. Donna Howard enjoys definitive victory

Democratic state Rep. Donna Howard won in a landslide against Libertarian opponent Daniel Jerome McCarthy, picking up over 80% of the vote Tuesday. House District 48 encompasses West Lake Hills and Rollingwood, as well as parts of Southwest Austin.

First elected in 2006, Howard has championed abortion rights and health care services for women as the chair of the Texas Women’s Health Caucus. She is also a former critical care nurse.

Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa ran uncontested, receiving over 80,000 votes, results show. House District 49 runs between MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) and Interstate 35, from North Austin to Sunset Valley.

Hinojosa chairs the state House Democratic Campaign Committee. A former civil rights attorney who got her start in politics on the Austin school board, Hinojosa has focused on public school funding and voters’ rights in recent sessions, leading the effort in 2023 against a school voucher proposal.

House District 50: Rep. James Talarico wins fourth term

Democratic state Rep. James Talarico ran unopposed for House District 50, which covers Northeast Austin and Pflugerville, securing over 48,000 votes, results show. A former public school teacher elected in 2018, Talarico has helped pass legislation to reform Texas’ school finance system and to provide funding for student mental health and character education programs.

Born in Round Rock, Talarico is currently training to become a preacher. He has championed a progressive approach to Christianity, ciritizing religious Republicans in the Legislature for legislation he calls “un-Christian.”

Democratic state Rep. Lulu Flores, an attorney who ran unopposed, received over 52,000 votes to continue representing District 51, which spans parts of East and Southeast Austin, for a second term.

Flores’ father helped found the League of Latin American Citizens, and she credits him with instilling in her a commitment to civil rights. She served as chief of staff to the first Mexican American woman elected to the Texas House.

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Austin, TX

Austin Police Department updates procedures after controversial deportation

Published

3 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Austin Police Department updates procedures after controversial deportation

AUSTIN, Texas — An update to the Austin Police Department’s (APD) procedures outlines that officers are not required to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when a person is found to have an ICE administrative warrant if they have no other arrestable charge.

The update follows a controversial deportation from January, when a woman’s disturbance call to APD led to her detainment, alongside her 5-year-old child, who is a U.S. citizen.

The incident led to questions from the community regarding the way APD is supposed to interact with ICE.

In a March 4 memo, APD Police Chief Lisa Davis said that the directives provided by ICE administrative warrants could be confusing in their wording.

According to Davis, officers have not historically regularly encountered administrative warrants while using the National Crime Information Center database, which is used to conduct identity checks. However, in 2025, federal agencies began entering a large volume of administrative warrants into the system.

According to the memo, administrative warrants are formatted in a way that looks similar to criminal warrants in the system.

The APD General Orders have been updated to clearly define the difference between criminal warrants and ICE administrative warrants, as well as specific instructions for how ICE administrative warrants should be handled moving forward.

“APD recognizes the sensitivity of this issue, not only within our city but across the nation. These policies were updated to provide clarity to our officers, ensure compliance with state law, and maintain officer discretion guided by supervisory oversight and operational consideration,” Davis said in the memo.

The updated procedures instruct officers to contact their supervisor when a person is found to have only an ICE administrative warrant, but no other arrestable criminal charge. From there, the officer or their supervisor may contact ICE, but is not required to.

“Austin Police and City of Austin leadership share a paramount goal for Austin to be a safe city for everyone who lives, works, or visits here,” Davis said in the memo. “We particularly want to ensure that anyone who witnesses or is the victim of a crime feels secure in contacting the police for help.”

According to the memo, the entire APD staff will be required to complete new training regarding these updates.

“In concert with the policy updates, APD is launching a public webpage to help people understand their rights and provide links to resources available from the City of Austin and community organizations, such as Know Your Rights training,” Davis said in the memo. “The webpage will also include information on the option of using APD Victim Services as an alternative to calling 9-1-1, when appropriate, and links to all general orders and policies related to immigration.”

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Austin, TX

Texas Plans Second Execution of the Year

Published

15 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Texas Plans Second Execution of the Year

Cedric Ricks spoke in his own defense at his 2013 murder trial, something most defendants accused of a terrible crime do not do. Ricks confessed that he had killed his girlfriend, Roxann Sanchez, and her 8-year-old son. He admitted he was aggressive and had trouble controlling his anger, stating that he was “sorry about everything.” […]

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Austin, TX

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

Austin had a particularly itchy and drippy cedar fever season to start the year. Many winter days, from late December into February, had high or very high ashe juniper (aka cedar) pollen counts.

Central Texas has a year-round allergy season with mold popping up at any time. For the more traditional spring and fall allergy seasons, forecasters at AccuWeather are predicting some of the allergens across the country will be worse this year than average.

Texas, though, is a different story.

For grass allergies, which happen now through September, AccuWeather estimates Austin will have an average season. However, just west of the Interstate 35 corridor in the Hill Country to almost El Paso, that season is expected to be worse than normal.

“Texas may experience above-average grass pollen for a few weeks,” AccuWeather’s allergy report said, “though the season could be shorter-lived compared to northern areas.”

It all depends on the weather

How much rain we get in the next six months and the perennial Texas heat will all affect the growing season for grasses and weeds, as well as the amount of pollen trees produce. The Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac are both predicting a wetter and warmer spring.

Rain helps plants grow, which can increase pollen production over time. However, rainfall during allergy season can also bring temporary relief by washing pollen out of the air. That’s what we’re expecting this weekend, with our first meaningful rain chance in nearly three weeks. Tree and weed pollen levels might briefly drop, but mold could spike because it thrives in damp, humid weather.

If spring continues with excessive heat like we saw in February, it could limit the growth of some plants and trees. Extreme heat can reduce how much they grow, and how much pollen they produce. On the other hand, if we get a healthy balance of rain and only slightly above-normal temperatures — not extreme heat — pollen counts could climb. That’s especially true as we head into April, typically our windiest month of the year, which helps spread pollen more easily.

How can you treat allergies in Austin?

If you are feeling the effects of allergies, here are some things you can do to lessen them:

Start taking allergy medication at least two weeks before your allergen’s season is supposed to start. Keep taking your allergy medication throughout your allergen’s season, even on low-pollen days.
Vary your allergy medication. You can take a nasal spray, an eye drop and an oral antihistamine at the same time to treat the different symptoms. If one kind of allergy medication isn’t working, consult your doctor about whether you should add a second one or switch out the medication.
Take a shower before going to bed.
Take off outside clothes or shoes when you get into the house.
Do a daily nasal wash such as a neti pot or saline spray.
Consider seeing an allergist to get drops or shots to lessen your reaction to the allergen.

Consider these household tips to improve your chances of keeping allergens away:

Change the filters in your house regularly during cedar fever season.
Vacuum and sweep regularly.
Change your sheets, especially your pillow regularly.
Keep doors and windows closed.
Clean out the vents in your home.
Have your home tested for indoor allergens such as mold.
Wash and brush the animals in your house to lessen the amount of allergens in the air.
Wear a mask outside or inside while you are trying to lessen the pollen or mold indoors.

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