Jennifer CuringtonSteve Adler stands on stage with supporters after telling the crowd that Councilman Mike Martinez conceded, making Adler Austin's next mayor.
Updated 9:05 a.m. CST
The final report from Travis County shows Steve Adler received 67.05 percent of votes cast during the runoff election for Austin's next mayor.
Almost 16 percent of registered voters cast ballots during the runoff election.
Adler received 52,125 votes while Martinez received 25,610 votes, or 32.95 percent.
Updated 10:00 p.m. CST
Austin's next mayor, Steve Adler, said he's anxious to get started on the job.
"It was exciting to win, it was exciting to win the way we won, it was exciting to win with support from all over the city," Adler said.
He said he thinks voters chose him because they realized that the problems the city is facing are not new, just unresolved.
The first challenge he must face as mayor is uniting the new 10-1 council, Adler said.
"While the new council comes with lots of different perspectives and interest ... there are also common problems that we have that impact us regardless of where we live. It's going to be a combination of the two challenges that we confront together," Adler said.
Throughout the campaign, Adler has touted that electing him would give Austin the opportunity for a new way forward. He said he hopes Austin holds the council accountable for approaching problems in new ways.
Updated 9:00 p.m. CST
Steve Adler addressed a crowd of supporters that filled Midway Field House telling them he felt excited, thankful and humbled to be Austin's next mayor.
Adler's opponent in the runoff election, Councilman Mike Martinez called and conceded.
"It was an incredibly gracious phone call. Mike told me that he was proud to call me his mayor," Adler said. "Quite frankly I can't imagine Austin's future without Mike being a leader."
Adler said he would be calling on Martinez for help in the future though what's next for Martinez is unclear.
With 52,715 votes counted, Adler received 36,372 votes or 69 percent of votes cast.
"This election isn't the new way forward, it's just the opportunity to deliver it," Adler said.
He said that with this new council he expects to create more opportunities for middle class jobs, affordable housing and a more representative council of the city as a whole.
Updated 7:51 p.m. CST
Councilman Mike Martinez has conceded, making Steve Adler the next mayor of Austin.
An attendee of Adler's watch party announced to a waiting room of supporters that Martinez had called Adler to admit defeat after the early voting results from Travis County Clerk's office showed Adler had received about 70 percent of the votes cast.
Posted 7:10 p.m. CST
According to early voting results, political newcomer Steve Adler is leading against Councilman Mike Martinez in the runoff election to determine the next mayor of Austin.
Martinez has 14,778 votes, or 30.21 percent of votes, and Adler has 34,133 votes, or 69.79 percent of votes. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
During the general election that ended Nov. 4, Adler received 36.84 percent of the vote, and Martinez received 29.93 percent of the vote. To avoid a runoff, any of the original eight candidates would have needed at least 50 percent of the vote. Since Adler and Martinez were the top two vote-getters Nov. 4, the two candidates proceeded to the Dec. 16 runoff.
Martinez has based a majority of his campaign on the thought that the new 10-1 council will need a mayoral leader with experience since there will be so many newcomers to city government. Conversely, Adler has touted that electing him would provide Austin with a new way forward and that the 10-1 council is a way to get out of the hold previous leadership had on the city.
The 10-1 council came about as an initiative of current City Council members to create a more representative council for the various neighborhoods in the city. Ten districts were chosen and mapped with one council member elected from each and an at-large mayor.
After the new City Council is established, the mayor can serve three three-year terms. Five council members will be randomly selected to serve initial two-year terms, and five will serve initial four-year terms. The initial terms allow future council elections to be held every two years. Future council terms will last four years.
