Austin, TX
From the Archives: When US presidents and candidates for the top office visited Austin
On Nov. 5, if things go as expected, American voters will choose the next president of the United States.
Austin has been no stranger to presidents and presidential candidates holding big rallies in the city. Republican Former President Donald Trump, who is seeking a comeback to the White House, hosted an invitation-only mini rally on Sept. 25 at a private jet hangar in East Austin before recording an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast in the comedian’s studio in the city. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ pick for the top of the ticket, skipped a stop in Austin for a big rally with Beyoncé in Houston on Oct. 25.
President Joe Biden delivered a speech on civil rights at the LBJ Presidential Library at the University of Texas in Austin in July. Trump inspected an Apple facility here in 2019. Over the course of several days, Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter attended a civil rights summit to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act at the LBJ Library in 2014. It was surely the largest assemblage of presidents ever to attend an event in Austin.
Obama visited Austin often during his eight years in office. His predecessor, Bush, lived in Austin for five years as Texas governor. On the night of Nov. 7, 2000, a big crowd gathered on Congress Avenue in chilly weather to cheer on candidate Bush, but they went home unfulfilled. The election was not decided for more than a month, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor in the case Bush v. Gore.
President Lyndon Baines Johnson grew up 50 miles west of Austin in Johnson City. He represented the Austin area as a U.S. congressman before becoming a U.S. senator, vice president and president. The American-Statesman recently documented all his offices in the Austin area.
In February 2016, journalist Sarah Thurmond, in a nifty feat of research, summarized earlier visits from major presidential candidates and office-holders in Austin Monthly magazine. Here are some highlights
- Dec. 27, 1899: Two-time Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan came to Austin to visit Texas Gov. James Hogg, who offered a “wild panther hunt” as entertainment. Said panther was actually the pet of a saloonkeeper.
- May 3, 1901: President William McKinley became the first president to visit the Texas Governor’s Mansion, after a carriage ride along Congress Avenue.
- April 6, 1905: After a trip up a flag-festooned Congress Avenue, President Theodore Roosevelt spoke to a large crowd outside the Texas Capitol.
- June 11, 1936: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, during a 20-minute nighttime stop, pressed a button to light up fireworks during the groundbreaking for the Texas Memorial Museum, which was recently renovated in a grand manner.
- Sept. 27, 1948: President Harry S. Truman stumped before a big crowd at a downtown train station during his famous “Whistle-stop Campaign.”
- Feb. 18, 1959: President Dwight D. Eisenhower made a “rest stop” at Bergstrom Air Force Base on his way to visit Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos. Of course, LBJ, then the Senate majority leader, was there to greet him.
- Sept. 13, 1960: President John F. Kennedy campaigned through several Texas cities before speaking on the steps of the Capitol.
- May 22, 1971: President Richard M. Nixon spoke at the dedication of the LBJ Library. Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson were present.
- July 25, 1984: President Ronald Reagan, campaigning in Austin for the second time, addressed a crowd assembled at what was then called Auditorium Shores, alongside Vice President, and future President, George H.W. Bush.
Perhaps the most famous presidential visit was one that never happened. Kennedy was scheduled to address a gala crowd at Municipal/Palmer Auditorium on Nov. 22, 1963. Earlier that day, he was assassinated in Dallas.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas’ highway system dropped two spots since 2025, and now ranks at No. 27 in the country for its cost-effectiveness and overall conditions, according to the Reason Foundation’s 2026 Highway Report.
The report assessed pavement conditions, fatalities, deficient bridges, infrastructure costs and congestion levels across the United States. Texas earned the following rankings:
- 33rd in urban interstate pavement conditions
- 21st in rural interstate pavement conditions
- 39th in urban arterial pavement conditions
- 12th in rural arterial pavement conditions
- 3rd in structurally deficient bridges
- 26th in urban fatality rate
- 42nd in rural fatality rate
- 41st in traffic congestion
“More than 42,000 of the nation’s 618,923 highway bridges, nearly 7%, are still structurally deficient. Arizona, Nevada, and Texas reported the lowest percentages of deficient bridges,” the report said.
The full report can be found online.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Small hail peppered the Austin area as strong thunderstorms moved through Saturday.
A few of the storms dropped rain and up to pea-sized hail in San Marcos, Dripping Springs and the Austin metro area.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Williamson County around 8:15 p.m., and then canceled shortly after. However, it was enough for the Two Step Inn music festival in Georgetown to cancel shows for the rest of the evening. Event organizers say the festival will run as planned Sunday.
KXAN’s First Warning Weather team is monitoring the storms. We will update this post as the evening continues.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Society Sons of the American Revolution unveiled a new monument at the Texas State Cemetery on Saturday, dedicated to Texas Revolutionary War soldiers.
“We must educate every generation about why it is that America grew from a tenuous 13 colonies into the most powerful country in the history of the world,” said Governor Abbott. “This monument here is an enduring testament to the heroes who fought for the freedom that is unique to America.”
The monument was dedicated to 69 soldiers who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Texas, according to a press release.
Among those that were honored, Abbott recognized:
- José Santiago Seguín, grandfather of Texas Revolutionary hero Juan Seguín.
- Peter Sides, who fought in the 2nd Battalion of the North Carolina Regiment of the Colonial Army, and was later killed in the 1813 Battle of Medina, fighting for Mexican independence against Spain.
- Antonio Gil Y’Barbo, the founder of Nacogdoches.
- William Sparks, who fought as a mounted rifleman in the American Revolution and later settled in Texas. He had two sons and two grandsons who fought in the Texas Revolution.
“This year marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, which not only gave freedom to the British colonies of North America, but inspired movements for freedom and liberty all over the world,” said TSSAR President Mel Oller. “Texans played a role in the war too, and it’s important to recognize them, and the sacrifices they made for our freedom.”
At the monument unveiling, Abbott was also inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution and received its Silver Good Citizenship Medal.
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