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Zimmerman, Flannigan and Wiley too close to call for District 6 runoff
Posted 1 a.m. CST
The race for Austin City Council District 6 runoff was still undetermined as of 1 a.m. Don Zimmerman leads the race with 2,430 votes, or 27.04 percent. James "Jimmy" Flannigan has 2,179 votes, or 24.25 percent, and Jay Wiley has 2,065 votes, or 22.98 percent.
Matt Stillwell is in fourth with 1,175 votes, or 13.07 percent, while Mackenzie Kelly and Lloyd "Pete" Phillips have 749 votes and 389 votes, respectively.
Posted 7:18 p.m. CST
According to early voting results, Don Zimmerman leads the race for the Austin City Council District 6 seat with 1,280 votes, or 26.8 percent. Candidate Jimmy Flannigan is trailing with 1,249 votes, or 26.15 percent. Jay Wiley has received 1,128 votes, or 23.62 percent; Matt Stillwell has received 582 votes, or 12.19 percent; Mackenzie Kelly has tallied 359 votes, or 7.52 percent; and Lloyd "Pete" Phillips has 178 votes, or 3.73 percent.
This election represents the first time voters will chose City Council members from 10 geographic districts, meaning voters can only vote for candidates from their district. The mayor will still be elected at-large, meaning anyone can vote for the mayor.
Flannigan, a longtime small-business owner, said fighting traffic, affordability, public safety, sustainable growth and a streamlined city government would be his top priorities if elected.
A commercial and runway model, Kelly spent two years as an emergency management technician with the Williamson County Office of Emergency Management. Kelly said affordability, safety, repealing the bag ban and keeping Austin moving through transportation would be her top priorities if elected.
Phillips currently serves in the Texas National Guard as the director of Threat Analysis and Force Protection/Counterterrorism and as a Special Security Officer. He said solutions to Austin's traffic issues, education and affordability are his top issues.
Stillwell, who has launched two businesses in Austin, has served on the Round Rock ISD Bond Oversight Committee as well as the RRISD Superintendent's District Grading Committee. He said transportation, prevention of wildfires and responsible job growth are some of his top issues.
Wiley, an attorney, has served as the Republican precinct chairman with the Travis County Republican Party. He said his priorities include giving Austin a pro-business culture, creating fiscal responsibility, lowering taxes and finding transportation solutions.
A fifth-generation Texan, Zimmerman founded the Travis County Taxpayers Union in 2012. He said ending corporate favoritism, enacting the maximum allowable homestead exemption and solving transportation issues through roads in place of rail are his top priorities.
If a candidate does not receive at least 50 percent of the vote, a runoff election between the two leading candidates will be held Dec. 16.
After the City Council members have been elected, half will be randomly selected to serve an initial two-year term and the other half a four-year term to allow for future council elections to be staggered. Future council terms will last four years.
