Local elections provide residents of an area with the opportunity to get representation on the issues that are closer and more relevant to them rather than the issues that affect the United States as a whole. According to the Journal of Democracy, while presidential candidates can receive more media attention from national newspapers, local elections usually aren’t recognized to a similar extent, which can cause low voter turnout. FairVote stated that, compared to other countries, the U.S. has significantly lower voter turnout than other countries, as turnout typically ranges from around 60% during presidential elections to 40% during midterm elections.
Senatorial Election
Colin Allred- Colin Allred is currently a representative for the 32nd District of Texas and has been a representative since 2019. Before public service, Allred played in the NFL as a linebacker. After getting an injury, he chose to pursue a job in public service. Prior to running for a representative position for his district in Texas, Allred served in the General Counsel’s office in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Allred is the Democratic nominee for Senator and has gotten notice from many U.S. Senators, attracting multi-millions of funds, as reported by the Texas Tribune. Allred’s focus in Congress includes lowering health care costs, protecting Medicare and Social Security, and improving the economy. Immigration, which has been a common issue for both candidates, has been the subject of many attack ads between the two candidates. Allred has been vocal about his views on following proper procedures when handling immigration cases.
Ted Cruz- Rafael Edward “Ted” Cruz has served as a Republican senator for the state of Texas after being sworn into office in 2013. In March 2015, Cruz announced his presidential bid for the Republican nomination but dropped out of the race after losing the Indiana primary to frontrunner Donald Trump. Currently, he is running for reelection for his third term as senator. Cruz’s political views generally align with those of conservative policies, according to the Texas Tribune. Cruz’s immigration views are represented in his strong support for securing the Texas-Mexico border and working on the asylum-granting system. Education has also been an important topic for Ted Cruz. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cruz was a vocal advocate for in-person learning, and later, he worked on a bill helping school tuition for public, private, and religious schools. In addition, Cruz has popularly been outspoken against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), better known as Obamacare.
Mayoral Election
Kirk Watson- Kirk Watson, the current Mayor of Austin, has been working in the government for the past three decades. Watson was appointed in 1991 by Governor Ann Richards as Chair of the Texas Air Control Board. Later, he won his first term as mayor in 1997 and was reelected with 84% of the vote. Then, in 2023, Watson returned for his third term as mayor after more than 13 years in the Texas Senate.
Kathie Tovo- Before working as a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Kathie Tovo worked in Austin City Hall for over a decade. In 2011, Tovo was first elected to the City Council, and focused her work on representing women, workers, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community, Tovo mentioned in a statement. From 2015 to 2019, Tovo served as Mayor Pro Tem, which is a temporary mayor in the absence of the mayor, for Austin before being elected in 2018 for a third term in the City Council which ended in January of 2023.
Doug Greco- Before entering the Mayoral election bid, Doug Greco was an organizer for the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), which involved 12 years as Lead Organizer with Central Texas Interfaith. In addition, Greco served as Chief of Staff to State Rep. Gina Hinojosa and Director of Programs with Equality California. He was also a teacher for five years at the former Johnston High School, which is now Eastside Early College High School.
Carmen Llanes Pulido- Carmen Llanes Pulido has worked in Austin for 20 years starting as a community organizer for People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources (PODER). Later, Pulido took a job at Marathon Kids creating initiatives involving nutrition planning and fitness to help kids and their parents. In 2013, she took part in a grassroots campaign to achieve 10 single-member city council districts. Pulido’s focus lies in issues affecting the cost of living, natural disasters, and other local issues affecting Austin.
