Austin City Council candidates raised more than $650,000 and had nearly $1 million still on hand for their campaigns in the lead-up to Election Day, paced once again by incumbents at City Hall including Mayor Kirk Watson.

The big picture

Twenty-two candidates are on the ballot contending for the seats of mayor and council representatives for districts 2, 4, 6, 7 and 10.

Candidates previously reported on their campaigns' financial activity early this year and in July. New reports due one month before the Nov. 5 election provide the latest look at finances since mid-summer.

Final campaign reports will be released the week before the election.


Mayor

Watson continued to heavily out-raise his competition in the mayoral contest and maintained a strong financial lead for his re-election bid after the midpoint of 2024.
After raising over $700,000 in the first half of the year, Watson reported campaign contributions of about $216,500 through late September. That's more than three times the total of his challengers—community organizer Carmen Llanes Pulido, construction manager Jeffery L. Bowen, organizer Doug Greco and former council member Kathie Tovo—combined.

The Watson campaign also reported spending nearly half a million dollars in the same time, again outpacing competitors who reported totals between $3,652 and $37,741.

His cash-on-hand total for the campaign's home stretch ended up at about $267,000, against opponents' totals of $4,661 to $45,219.


Financial support for Watson is bolstered by the Austin Leadership PAC, which reported almost $236,000 on hand in late September. A pro-Greco PAC reported more than $19,000, while a pro-Llanes Pulido PAC had $9,210 remaining.

City ethics complaints were filed against both Watson and Greco over their fundraising activities outside city limits earlier this year. Final hearings over those complaints will be held later in October.

Greco has argued civic limits on campaign fundraising outside Austin "unfairly benefits" incumbent candidates, and filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the rule. Watson's campaign says the basis of the complaint over his activity is flawed, and that his fundraising fully complied with the city policy.

District 2


In the Southeast Austin council race, incumbent Vanessa Fuentes remained well ahead of her lone challenger Robert Reynolds.
Fuentes drew more than $43,200, spent about $41,500, and had more than $93,300 on hand at the start of fall. Reynolds reported spending just $200 from his own funds.

Fuentes is assisted by the Austinites for Equity PAC, alongside District 4 council member Chito Vela. The PAC also supports council candidates Krista Laine, Mike Siegel and Ashika Ganguly.

District 4

The incumbent Vela once again led financially in the five-person race to represent North Central Austin's District 4, with other notable activity from his returning challenger Monica Guzmán.
Vela out-raised Guzmán about $22,000 to $14,500, out-spent her $33,400 to $19,000, and had $67,000 on hand to her $25,400 as of late September.


Candidate Louis Herrin reported no donations, spending of about $1,300, and nearly $1,900 on hand in the same period.

Candidates Eduardo "Lalito" Romero and Jim Rabuck hadn't filed campaign reports by the Oct. 7 deadline, based on information posted online by the city clerk.

District 6

The Northwest Austin race once again saw an incumbent in the lead, with council member Mackenzie Kelly roughly doubling challenger Laine's donation, spending and cash-on-hand totals.
Kelly brought in more than $53,000, spent almost $90,000 and had almost $118,000 remaining for the final few weeks of her campaign. Laine reported raising more than $24,000, spending $46,000 and maintaining about $50,700 as of late September.


Laine is supported by the Vibrant Austin PAC, which raised more than $55,000 and had more than $43,000 remaining in September. The committee also supports Ganguly.

Laine also faces an ethics complaint, filed by Kelly, alleging she didn't file a required Personal Financial Statement—not tied to campaign information—with the city.

District 7

The six-person race to succeed Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool in the North Austin district saw two candidates take the lead in financial activity.
Civil rights lawyer Gary Bledsoe overtook 2024's first-half front-runner, attorney Siegel, in donations and remaining funds. Bledsoe raised more than $50,000 in the past few months to Siegel's nearly $26,000, and had about $5,000 more on hand heading into October.

Adam Powell and Todd Shaw were the other two candidates with four-figure cash on hand totals a month out from the election. Shaw had nearly $14,000 remaining after raising $6,000 through September, while Powell had about $4,700 left after receiving about $10,000 in donations.

District 10

The other open race to succeed Central and West Austin representative Alison Alter remained competitive financially, although legislative director and former teacher Ganguly pulled ahead of business owner and consultant Marc Duchen.
After closer first-half results, Ganguly raised about $30,000 more than Duchen and had a similar cash-on-hand advantage weeks before the election. Both candidates spent about $25,000 in the latest reporting period.

Ganguly also faces an ethics complaint from Duchen over failure to submit a financial statement.