Austin mayor’s race heading to a runoff, Dallas county judge wins reelection

Two Democratic heavyweights superior to a runoff election to guide Austin because the state capital grapples with speedy inhabitants development, skyrocketing dwelling prices and rising homelessness.

With all precincts reporting, state Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin, completed first in a crowded discipline, adopted by former state Sen. Kirk Watson. Jennifer Virden, an actual property dealer, was in third place. They had been all shy of incomes nearly all of votes wanted to safe a victory.

Israel and Watson will meet within the runoff election on Dec. 13.

Six candidates had been on the poll to succeed Austin Mayor Steve Adler, who has to go away workplace due to time period limits.

Watson and Israel are Democrats, although the mayor’s seat is technically nonpartisan. Watson served as town’s mayor from 1997 to 2001.

Austin’s housing affordability disaster has taken middle stage within the race after town’s already-rising housing prices had been supercharged in the course of the pandemic. Throughout that point, new residents flocked to town from costlier elements of the nation and millennials and so-called institutional buyers entered the home-buying market in full pressure.

Watson and Israel each put out proposals for deal with town’s housing crunch. Watson needs to overtake town’s growth evaluation course of and permit development of taller mixed-use developments to create extra housing models. Israel has proposed utilizing city-owned land to construct housing and lowering town’s parking necessities for brand new residential developments, which might permit room for extra housing models.

Watson raised almost $358,000 since July and spent greater than $1 million, whereas Israel raised almost $156,000 and spent about $288,000.

Disclosure: Steve Adler, a former Texas Tribune board chair, has been monetary supporter of the Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan information group that’s funded partially by donations from members, foundations and company sponsors. Monetary supporters play no position within the Tribune’s journalism. Discover a full listing of them right here.