AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Former Austin City Council member Kathie Tovo says she's running to be the city's next mayor.
Tovo most recently served two back-to-back terms as the District 9 representative on the council, from 2015-2023; before that, she served an at-large term beginning in 2011.
"This campaign will be about engaging with Austinites throughout the city to craft a vision where every Austinite has the opportunity to succeed and thrive," Tovo said in a release. "As a Council Member, I supported community-led policy and helped give a voice for progressive policies that would benefit all of us, not just those who want to use the City to make a profit."
"I'm still committed to these same progressive values: equity, honest government and standing up for women, workers, immigrants and our LGBTQIA+ community," Tovo continued. "You can also count on me to fight against bad plans like the I-35 expansion and the State's attacks on our local freedoms."
The mayor's race, in addition to five city council seats, will be on the ballot on Nov. 5. It's the first mayoral election after Austin voters approved moving the mayor and council elections to coincide with presidential election years.
Mayor Kirk Watson, who is currently serving a two-year transition term, has not officially announced if he will seek re-election.
