Austin City Council District 4 incumbent Greg Casar celebrates his reelection Tuesday. Austin City Council District 4 incumbent Greg Casar celebrates his reelection Tuesday.[/caption]

Final Update 8:47 a.m.


District 4 Austin City Council Member Greg Casar has guaranteed his reelection after winning 61 percent of the vote, or 7,302 votes, in last night's election.

His opponents, Louis C. Herrin III and Gonzalo Camacho, lost with 16.2 percent and 22.9 percent of the votes, respectively.




Updated 9 p.m.


District 4 Austin City Council Member Greg Casar has declared victory based on election results posted so far, earning his second term in elected office.

"I do think that based on the early voting totals we are going to win the reelection," Casar said. "I don't see the election as the finish line—it's the starting line."

He echoed that sentiment about the city's proposed mobility bond, which so far leads in votes, explaining he is "committed to making sure that those dollars are spent efficiently."

He said his election was bigger than just winning; it was about empowering people to vote and driving voter turnout.

"My continued focus is on elevating the voices of everyday people," Casar said.

During his new term, Casar said he will focus on protecting civil rights, creating more affordable housing, protecting workers' rights and reworking the city's land development code to ensure it is more supportive of mass transit options and integrates neighborhoods socioeconomically.


Incumbent Greg Casar leads in early voting totals for Austin City Council District 4
Updated 7:25 p.m.


Unofficial early voting totals from the Travis County Clerk's office show incumbent Greg Casar leading in the District 4 Austin City Council race.

As of 7 p.m. when polls officially closed in Texas, Casar had 5,985 votes, or 64.6 percent, and challengers Louis Herrin III and Gonzalo Camacho garnered 1,421 and 1,853 votes, or 15.4 and 20.01 percent, respectively.

So far, 9,259 ballots were cast for District 4 during Texas' early voting period, which ran from Oct. 24-Nov. 4, according to the clerk's office.

All results are unofficial until canvassed.

As of 5 p.m. today, nearly 80,000 votes had been cast in Travis County, according to the Travis County Clerk's Office.

District 4 candidate Gonzalo Camacho in Portugal during election
Updated 12:10 p.m. 

Austin City Council District 4 candidate Gonzalo Camacho won't be in town to see the election results come in tonight.

He told Community Impact Newspaper in an email today he is in Portugal on a bicycle tour. Camacho, a past board member of Please Be Kind to Cyclists, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness between drivers and cyclists, said he is biking to the Scientists for Cycling Colloquium Aveiro, which is held from Nov. 17-19 at the University of Aveiro in Portugal.

According to his website, Camacho's campaign priorities include more property tax relief, an alternative to the proposed $720 million mobility bond, and more efforts for community safety.

Challenger Louis Herrin III said he wasn't sure where he was going to be watching the election results tonight.

Meanwhile, incumbent Greg Casar tweeted he joined District 2 Austin City Council candidate Delia Garza, District 3 Austin Council Member Sabino "Pio" Renteria and Austin Mayor Steve Adler outside a polling location this morning:

 



Casar announces Election Night watch party plans
Posted 10:18 a.m.

When Austin City Council District 4 candidate Greg Casar and his supporters watch the election results come in tonight, they'll be doing so to the music of Cecilia and the Broken Hearts, an afro-chicano-futurism band.

The watch party, held at Lima Criolla at 6406 N. I-35, St. 1550, Austin, will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Greg Casar, District 4 City Council candidate. Greg Casar, District 4 City Council candidate.[/caption]

In an email this morning, Casar wrote he would be taking time today to reflect "on all the people who have fought, marched, protested and even died for our right to vote during our history.

There are still many in our community who are still fighting for this right: like those of us who have served time for a conviction, or those of us who await common sense immigration reform, and others. I vote in honor of the work that has been done, and the work there still is to do," he said.

Cecilia and the Broken Hearts will go live just after 8 p.m., according to Casar's election night watch party Facebook invitation. 

Later on in the night, Casar said he will be heading to the Travis County Democratic Party election night watch party at The Driskill Hotel, located at 604 Brazos St., Austin. He'll be there from 10-11 p.m.

Read Casar's views on Austin issues here.