George Rose/Getty Images; Insider
Six candidates are vying to be the next mayor in Austin, Texas’ mayoral race: Anthony Bradshaw, Phil Campero Brual, Celia Israel, Gary Spellman, Jennifer Virden, and Kirk Watson.
Polls close in the state at 7 p.m. local time. Given the state has multiple timezones, the first polls close at 8 p.m. EST and the last polls close at 9 p.m. EST.
After serving for two consecutive four-year terms, Democratic Mayor Steve Adler is term-limited and ineligible to run for a third time.
Bradshaw, a political newcomer, has largely focused his campaign on addressing equity.
Campero Brual, who is a legislative intern at the Texas State Capitol and a government and history student at the University of Texas, Austin, says he wants Austin to “no longer be a city represented by out of touch millionaires who pretend to understand the real struggles of the people living and working in Austin.”
Israel is a member of the Texas House of Representatives, an office she’s held since 2014. Housing and affordability have been major parts of her campaign.
Spellman, a businessman and co-founder of Ultimate Face Cosmetics, is running for mayor of Austin to “represent those that don’t see their values or priorities confined to strict party lines,” per his campaign website. He says it’s important to give voters an option of a purple party that “breaks down the silos to have dialogue that helps keep the city of Austin accountable for all citizens and inclusive of all voices.”
Virden is a real estate broker and former Austin City Council candidate. On the top of her priority list are affordable housing, public safety, and homelessness.
Watson, along with Israel, has considerable previous experience in politics: He’s both a former Austin mayor and former state senator. His main priorities include addressing the city’s rising cost of living, homelessness, systemic racism, and transportation.