It’s official. Kirk Watson was officially re-elected as Mayor of Austin on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 15 — 10 days after Election Day.
Watson avoided a runoff by ~13-14 votes, tallying 175,090 total votes across Travis, Williamson, and Hays counties. The next closest candidate was Carmen Llanes Pulido, who gained 70,535 votes, or ~20.1%.
Why did it take so long?
Basically, it took a while to count up all the votes, including mail-in ballots and provisional ballots. To avoid a runoff, Watson needed to secure 50% plus one vote. While he crossed the 50% threshold on Election Day, the campaign waited to announce a victory until all the votes had come in.
Wasn’t he just elected two years ago?
Yes, but because Austinites voted to approve Proposition D in 2021, Watson’s first term was restricted to two years to align future mayoral races with the presidential race instead of the gubernatorial race.
The idea behind Prop D was to increase voter turnout, but passing it also meant that the mayor elected in 2022 would serve two years instead of four. This time around, Watson will serve a full four-year term.
This is not Watson’s first rodeo
Watson was first elected Mayor of Austin in 1997, campaigning to boost land preservation, water quality + conservation, and create a “24-hour Downtown” by creating a haven for jobs, retail, and residences through the Smart Growth Initiative. Under his first term, Watson led a redevelopment project in the Second Street District, which also led to the construction of a new City Hall building.
Watson was re-elected to his second term with 84% of the vote in 2000, but stepped down in November 2001 to run for Texas Attorney General. He lost to Greg Abbott, but continued to serve in the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, Texas Senate, and boards like the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization until 2020.
Watson won his third term as Austin Mayor in 2022, after a runoff election against Celia Israel. Since then, he has spearheaded plans to build an Austin Infrastructure Academy, been an advocate for Project Connect, and “shelved” the Zilker Park Vision Plan.
How can I keep up with Mayor Watson?
Head to this site to keep up with Mayor Watson’s schedule and agenda, or contact his office. You can also sign up for his newsletter — The Watson Wire — by emailing watsonwire@austintexas.gov.
