2022 Austin mayoral election

Last updated

2022 Austin mayoral election
Flag of Austin, Texas.svg
  2018 November 8, 2022 (first round)
December 13, 2022 (runoff)
2024  
Turnout52.33% Increase2.svg (first round)
  Kirk Watson.jpg Celia Israel (cropped).jpg 3x4.svg
Candidate Kirk Watson Celia Israel Jennifer Virden
First round106,508
35.0%
121,862
40.0%
56,189
18.4%
Runoff 55,292
50.1%
55,262
49.9%
Eliminated

Austin Mayor 2022 fixed.svg
Runoff precinct results
Watson:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80-90%     >90%
Israel:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80-90%     >90%
     No votes

Mayor before election

Steve Adler

Elected Mayor

Kirk Watson

The 2022 Austin mayoral election was held on November 8, 2022 to elect the next mayor of Austin, Texas. The election was nonpartisan; candidates' party affiliations did not appear on the ballot. Incumbent mayor Steve Adler was term-limited and could not run for re-election. In the general election, state representative Celia Israel and former mayor Kirk Watson took the first two spots, leading realtor Jennifer Virden and several other candidates. Because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, the race proceeded to a runoff election between Israel and Watson on December 13, which Watson won by 30 votes. [1]

Contents

Due to the passage of Proposition D in 2021, which scheduled mayoral elections in Austin to coincide with presidential elections, the winner of this election is to serve a shortened two-year term. [2]

The election occurred concurrently with district city council races.

Background

Though the election was officially nonpartisan, the runoff candidates, Celia Israel and Kirk Watson, were both affiliated with the Democratic Party. [3] Jennifer Virden, who was third place, had a reputation of being conservative. [4]

Steven Pedigo, director of UT's LBJ Urban Lab, indicated that Watson's support was centralized with longtime residences of Austin in areas like the Northwest, and Israel's support was with younger demographics in growing and gentrifying areas of South and East Austin. [5] According to Axios, Watson likely benefitted by the absence of Beto O’Rourke, who drew out younger and more progressive voters, from appearing on the runoff ballot. Furthermore, voters who supported more conservative Virden were more inclined to opt for Watson in the runoff. [5]

Candidates

Declared

Withdrew

Declined

Endorsements

Celia Israel
U.S. Representatives
State legislators
Local officials
Organizations
Newspapers
Kirk Watson
State legislators
  • Sheryl Cole, state Representative from the 46th district
  • Wendy Davis, former state Senator from the 10th district and 2014 Democratic nominee for Governor of Texas
Local officials
Labor Unions
  • AFSCME, Local 1624
  • Austin Central Labor Council
  • Austin EMS Association
  • Austin Firefighter's Association
  • Workers Defense Action Fund
Organizations
  • Austin Board of Realtors
  • Black Austin Democrats
  • Central Austin Democrats
  • Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA)
Jennifer Virden
Municipal officials
Declined to endorse

Results

2022 Austin mayoral general election [34]
CandidateVotes %
Celia Israel 121,86239.99%
Kirk Watson 106,50834.95%
Jennifer Virden56,18918.44%
Phil Campero Brual7,2952.39%
Anthony Bradshaw7,1022.33%
Gary Spellman5,7811.90%
Voter turnout100%
2022 Austin mayoral runoff [1]
CandidateVotes %
Kirk Watson 55,29250.01%
Celia Israel 55,26249.99%
Voter turnout100%

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