Meet the candidates running for Austin City Council District 1

Why are you running for this office and what is your top priority?

I'm running because District 1 deserves real representation and real action, like my current fight for a working kitchen at Givens Park. My priority is making City Hall finally work for the people who elected it. My policy approach is simple: integrity, equity, accountability, and no private commitments.

How do you view city spending and taxing, and would you pursue any specific fiscal strategies in office?

Taxpayers deserve to see exactly where their money goes. I'll prioritize basic services, audit programs regularly for real results, and require plain-language justification before new spending. Fiscal strategy starts with proof, not promises. I'll hold the line on taxes unless there's a clear, measurable reason to raise them.

What are the top mobility challenges in your district and how should they be addressed?

District 1 needs better street upkeep: safer sidewalks, improved crosswalks, and more frequent bus stops. I'll push for transit-oriented development, like placing transit stops near jobs and shopping clusters so residents can walk to daily needs. Easing congestion and reducing driving also improves neighborhood safety.

How would you grade the city’s current work on affordable housing and development policy, and why?

I'd give it a C. Austin says it's tackling affordability, but residents keep getting priced out. We need real plans for homes people can actually afford, growth that respects neighborhood character, and infrastructure that keeps pace. Development should benefit current residents first, not just rapidly building with no real plan.

Why are you running for this office and what is your top priority?

District 1 needs a leader who keeps community needs at the center. My top priority is housing stability. I want to prioritize deeply affordable housing, preserve existing affordable homes, support larger housing options for families, and make infrastructure and neighborhood investments that allow our communities to remain strong, connected, and ...

How do you view city spending and taxing, and would you pursue any specific fiscal strategies in office?

Austin must be fiscally responsible while investing in affordability, safety, and resilience. Taxpayers deserve transparency, accountability, and measurable results. I would strengthen multi-year financial planning, scrutinize major expenditures, contracts, and incentives, and improve efficiency. With potential federal funding reductions ahead, we must protect essential services and prioritize strategic investments today.

What are the top mobility challenges in your district and how should they be addressed?

District 1 faces sidewalk and crossing gaps, unreliable transit connections, and infrastructure that has not kept pace with growth. I would prioritize sidewalks, safer pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, Small Area Mobility Plans, Vision Zero strategies, and stronger CapMetro connections. Regional coordination with CAMPO and TxDOT is essential to creating safe ...

How would you grade the city’s current work on affordable housing and development policy, and why?

I would give the City a C-. Austin has made housing investments and adopted new development tools, but District 1 still lacks affordability, preservation, and stability. We cannot measure success by units built alone. Development must include deeply affordable housing, tenant protections, infrastructure, and community benefits while proactively preventing displacement.

Why are you running for this office and what is your top priority?

I’m running to serve my community, building on a career as an organizer, advocate, and attorney fighting alongside East Austin communities. Top priority is making affordability a part of our infrastructure and taking a whole-of-government approach to ensure housing stability is the foundation for safer neighborhoods and greater economic opportunity.

How do you view city spending and taxing, and would you pursue any specific fiscal strategies in office?

I support responsible budgeting that will protect our core services while delivering real economic opportunities for all of District 1. I would work to better coordinate housing, health, and public safety budgets prioritizing anti-displacement, eviction protection, and violence prevention instead of siloed and duplicative spending.

What are the top mobility challenges in your district and how should they be addressed?

District 1 needs safer streets, more reliable transit, better sidewalks, and bike infrastructure connecting neighborhoods. We need expanded affordable transit service connecting East Austin to jobs, healthcare, and schools, and I will advocate equitable transit-oriented development that pairs density near transit with guaranteed affordability; not just additional market-rate units.

How would you grade the city's current work on affordable housing and development policy, and why?

Not equitable. Housing in District 1 is treated as standalone instead of an infrastructure requiring a whole-of-government approach. I will work to pair anti-displacement tools like eviction and homestead protections with a District 1 Economic Opportunity Fund. Affordability means lowering costs, raising incomes, and building real ownership for all residents.

Why are you running for this office and what is your top priority?

I uncovered that Austin is borrowing $3.1 billion from the pensions. The interest costs $450 per year for each family. I have a Master's in Economics and worked in finance. I'm running to fix this. My top priority is residents' wallets, especially lower rent and taxes.

How do you view city spending and taxing, and would you pursue any specific fiscal strategies in office?

The City plans on borrowing more from the pensions. I'll stop that. I'll move as much pension debt as we're allowed to a lower interest rate GO bond. I will prioritize construction that brings the City in more money in property tax than it costs in services.

What are the top mobility challenges in your district and how should they be addressed?

The City's survey confirms that the top transportation problem is congestion, on I-35, MLK, and elsewhere. New housing must be built in or near downtown, to keep people off the roads. That housing needs wide sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and fast reliable buses.

How would you grade the city’s current work on affordable housing and development policy, and why?

A-. The best economic measure of housing is rent. It's the largest thing in most Austinites' budgets. A higher rent indicates a housing shortage, which causes homelessness. Zillow says metro Austin's rent has fallen 11% in 4 years, the best in the country. I'll keep that going.

Why are you running for this office and what is your top priority?

I’m running because I was born and raised in District 1 and want residents to see measurable results from our City government. My top priority is the budget: ensuring taxpayer dollars are responsibly allocated, departments can thrive efficiently, essential services are supported, and investments produce measurable outcomes for Austin residents.

How do you view city spending and taxing, and would you pursue any specific fiscal strategies in office?

City spending should be transparent, efficient, and accountable. I would review departmental spending, completion rates, and service outcomes to ensure taxpayer dollars are properly allocated so departments can thrive efficiently. My fiscal strategy would prioritize essential services, address inefficiencies, and ensure investments produce measurable results for Austin residents.

What are the top mobility challenges in your district and how should they be addressed?

District 1 needs safer, more reliable connections among neighborhoods, jobs, schools, and transit. I would prioritize sidewalks, street safety, accessible infrastructure, and stronger transit connections while reviewing mobility investments for completion and effectiveness. Growth and major transportation projects should also protect existing residents from displacement.

How would you grade the city’s current work on affordable housing and development policy, and why?

Austin has invested in affordable housing, but significant affordability and displacement challenges remain. I would focus less on a letter grade and more on results: units preserved and produced, residents served, affordability periods, geographic distribution, and displacement. Development should expand housing opportunities while protecting established neighborhoods and existing residents.

Why are you running for this office and what is your top priority?

We need to bring down costs for working families and restore their voices to City Hall. I will stand up to developer interests, tech billionaires, and the status quo to make Austin safer, more inclusive, and truly affordable.

How do you view city spending and taxing, and would you pursue any specific fiscal strategies in office?

Instead of cuts, consolidations, and layoffs, the city should focus on reigning in contracts and consultants failing to deliver on both the basics and the ambitious goals we have as a city. I will defend workers and propose solutions to expand the city’s capacity to deliver for our communities.

What are the top mobility challenges in your district and how should they be addressed?

More east-west bus connections are needed and antidisplacement funding is still critical to keeping families rooted. I will fight to prioritize this funding in the next phase of Project Connect, which does not include rail to East Austin communities.

How would you grade the city’s current work on affordable housing and development policy, and why?

The City is failing its own test by delivering little to no deeply affordable housing within reach of the working families who keep this city running. On the dais, I will demand more for them, including the development of social housing that stabilizes costs for all residents.