AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Kirk Watson, former state senator and mayor of the City of Austin, says he's running again for the top elected position at City Hall.
Watson served as Austin's mayor form 1997-2001, before stepping down to mount an unsuccessful bid against Greg Abbott to become Texas' Attorney General. He later served as a member of the Texas Senate from 2007-2020. Watson left the Senate to become the first dean of the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston.
In an email to supporters Tuesday morning, Watson said there's more he wants to do for the community. "I want to ensure that our city effectively addresses the range of issues that will define our future. Austin should be thinking big. We should be setting and achieving aspirational goals. And we should be able to do those things while still providing basic, day-to-day services," said Watson.
The priorities Watson plans to focus on if elected include the city's cost of living, homelessness issues, systemic racism, public safety, transportation, and infrastructure for the city's growth.
While the official filing period for the November city elections does not open until late July, Watson joins an increasingly crowded field in just the mayor's race alone. Celia Israel, Jennifer Virden, and Erica Nix have all formally announced their campaigns, while Austin City Council member Kathie Tovo has filed paperwork appointing a campaign treasurer.