When UT freshman Dave Thadani tells voters he is running to be on the Austin City Council, people almost always ask if he is old enough to run. But for Thadani’s campaign, he said his policies are more important than his age. 

“A lot of students don’t know that they can get involved,” Thadani said. “Students (are) almost getting left behind in a city that prides itself in its flagship university.”

Thadani, a computer science freshman, said he became interested in politics during the 2016 presidential election. He said he began researching how to run for office as soon as he enrolled at the University, and is now running for the Austin City Council District 9 seat, which represents UT and West Campus. 

“(Running has) genuinely been a long time coming,” Thadani said. “I saw a problem in Austin, and I just wanted to help. I just wanted to be the change that I wanted to see.”

UT alumnus Zohaib “Zo” Qadri, who currently holds the seat, has served on the city council since 2023 and is seeking re-election. Thadani will face Qadri, former UT professor Rich Heyman and UT alumna Katie Kam in November. 

As a current student, Thadani said he understands the unique issues facing UT and the West Campus, which he is running to represent better than the alumni running alongside him. These candidates have “lived” the student life, but are not “living” it, he said.

“(Alumni) are no longer in the same struggle that a lot of these students are currently in,” Thadani said. “You can’t say that you know exactly what it’s like when you’re not in that exact situation.”

Thadani said students in West Campus are “being taken advantage of through predatory lease contracts, as many students are first-time renters,” with many students unaware of the defects of apartment buildings before signing. 

Thadani proposes launching a landlord transparency portal, an online platform to centralize public building complaints, such as reported maintenance issues and apartment code violations, according to his website. 

“If we were to consolidate that (information) and promote it as a way to check if your apartment is great … it would provide that peace of mind, not only for students who have been here, but also for parents who are sending their children here,” Thadani said.

He also said he will advocate for more publicization of the 3-1-1 app, an app where Austin residents can report non-emergency issues, Thadani added.  He said students should know they can report landlords and code violations on the app.

“You don’t have to live in an environment that’s not suitable,” Thadani said. “You have the right to a natural home, a place where you can call home without being worried about getting sick.”

Thandani also advocates for the University Neighborhood Overlay program, which is a high-density redevelopment plan for West Campus that has been continuously postponed for nearly a year, as a top priority. He said he also advocates for safe and sustainable city planning by pushing for more green spaces and sustainable transportation. 

“One of the main reasons we have the urban heat island effect and why Austin is becoming so much hotter is because we haven’t practiced that sustainable development that we all like to pledge,” Thadani said. 

Thadani said he plans on continuing his studies at UT if elected. He added how being a student while being in office would make him uniquely qualified to be a city council representative.

“A lot of people ask me if it’s challenging being a student and running for office at the same time, but I think that’s the point,” Thadani said. “I’m living an experience that everybody has to live.”