Krista Laine has unseated incumbent council member Mackenzie Kelly in Northwest Austin's City Council contest.
Unofficial results show the race to represent District 6—Austin's only council district split between Travis and Williamson counties—was a close one. Laine won with 51.31%, or about 700 votes more than Kelly out of the more than 27,000 cast. Laine beat out Kelly's vote totals in both counties.
Laine said she anticipated the electoral win, and that she's now focused on addressing the outlying district's transportation safety, infrastructure, community spaces and emergency response.
“Improved 911 response times for critical emergencies is a big [District 6] concern. It is also a citywide concern, but we have some additional issues going on because we’re 60% Williamson County, 40% Travis County. We have multiple areas where there’s [extraterritorial jurisdiction] that’s encircled by City of Austin," Laine said in an interview Nov. 6. "There are just challenges of working across jurisdictions there, and I know that’s a tough one so I am eager to start working on it along with the rest of council."
On social media, Kelly said she was proud of her accomplishments through her first four-year term despite coming up short this November.
"Thank you to everyone who supported us. I’ll continue to fight for our community—because we’re all fighters," she wrote. "Just because we’re down today doesn’t mean we’re ever out. Onward to the future!"
Northwest Austin's representation at City Hall will once again shift between left- and right-leaning candidates, in line with the political divide typically seen between the counties.
Conservative Don Zimmerman won District 6's first election in a runoff after its creation in 2014, then was defeated by liberal Jimmy Flannigan—his previous opponent—two years later. Flannigan then lost to the conservative Kelly in a 2020 runoff.
Laine said that while the political swings may be "puzzling" to view from the city's core areas, the changes could stem from resident dissatisfaction over local challenges with power, water and critical infrastructure. As an example, Laine said one polling place—District 6's lone city library branch—and surrounding areas lost power during the election.
“I think that in District 6, it’s been hard to get the services that come to Central Austin more easily and that’s what voters are reacting to," Laine said. "We’ve never had an incumbent win. I believe that people are looking for someone who will not just focus on basic city services, but has the skills and experience to begin to deliver and to work effectively with the rest of council.”
Laine's successful challenge to Kelly followed the approval of new council district boundaries in 2021, and District 6's loss of some more historically conservative areas. Under the city's geographic 10-1 council system, that redistricting process now takes place every decade following U.S. Census Bureau demographic updates.
Updated 7:44 a.m. Nov. 6
As of 7:30 a.m. Nov. 6, Krista Laine leads the race for Austin City Council District 6 with over 51% of the vote. Laine leads with 13,973 votes against incumbent Mackenzie Kelly, who holds over 48% of the vote at 13,259 votes.
What incumbent Kelly is saying
Kelly is keeping an eye on votes as the race waits to be called, she said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“As the results roll in, we’re watching every single vote closely, and I remain optimistic,” Kelly said. “Regardless of the outcome, my commitment to District 6 is stronger than ever. I’ll continue working tirelessly to make our city safer, improve our neighborhoods, and bring the positive change we deserve.”
All results are unofficial until canvassed. Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide/election-results to see results from all local elections in your community.
Posted 11:35 p.m. Nov. 5
As of 11 p.m. on Nov. 5, City Council candidate Krista Laine has a lead in the race to represent Northwest Austin at City Hall.
Laine is currently winning over 51% of the early vote in Council District 6 with 13,277 votes, according to results from Travis and Williamson counties. Mackenzie Kelly trails with 48.35% of the vote, totaling 12,427 votes.
All results are unofficial until canvassed. Visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide/election-results to see results from all local elections in your community.
The context
District 6 is among Austin's more suburban council districts, and the only one stretching into the more conservative Williamson County. While the majority of Austin City Council skews liberal, Kelly has represented the lone right-leaning voice at City Hall since winning her seat in a close runoff in 2020.
She's regularly voted against policy proposals and spending items more broadly supported by her council colleagues, and was one of the voices against the controversial "HOME" policies approved in the past year.
A vocal backer of the city's police, fire and emergency medical services departments, Kelly has led on several initiatives related to public safety both in her district and citywide. She said she sought re-election to continue stabilizing the Austin Police Department and promote affordability in the city's northwest corner. She also cited road infrastructure and traffic improvements as top priorities, and said she aims to keep supporting small businesses and limit Austin's tax impacts on residents.
Laine, who previously organized against right-leaning candidates in Round Rock ISD, said District 6 needs action to address its lengthy 911 response times and lacking transit access to the city center.
Billing herself as a fresh voice for the area, she also said she'd prioritize city infrastructure reliability and resilience, and its response to homelessness. She's said her past experience analyzing the local housing market would be a benefit at City Hall, and has expressed support for the current council's housing policy approach including HOME.
