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East 12th Street in East Austin on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jay Janner\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
East Austin voters will choose among six candidates Nov. 3 in the race for Austin City Council District 1 \u2014 more than in any other council race on the ballot. Some district residents say the unusually large field has made it harder to settle on a candidate.<\/p>\n
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\u201cAs weird as it sounds, it\u2019s almost like we have too many,\u201d Patrick Davis, who has lived in the district for more than 15 years, said.<\/p>\n
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The choice will be even harder because the candidates have few major policy differences, according to Brian Smith, a political science professor at St. Edward\u2019s University. That makes trust and name recognition key, he said.<\/p>\n
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E4 youth digital docents, staff and volunteers test the What Once Was augmented reality module outside the Victory Grill on Monday, Feb. 14. WOW users can layer a pair of animated Black musicians jamming onto the stage of the historic club which was once part of the Chitlin’ Circuit, a network of venues that welcomed Black musicians in the segregated South.<\/p>\n
Jack Myer\/American-Statesman<\/p>\n
The winner will succeed Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison, who is term-limited after representing the district since 2019 and made headlines<\/a> for her long absence from the council to seek mental health treatment and her chronic absenteeism<\/a>. A Statesman analysis of city council votes taken since 2023 found that she missed nearly 20% of votes in that time period, by far the highest share among current council members.\u00a0<\/p>\n Misael Ramos, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America Austin chapter, speaks at a protest by the Texas State Employees Union at University Baptist Church on Friday, Sep. 25, 2026 in Austin. About 80 members of the Texas State Employees Union and CWA Local 6186 gathered to call for the defense of free speech, academic freedom, and public higher education as well as highlight concerns about political pressure forcing changes to academic programs and curriculum.<\/p>\n Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n Residents interviewed for this story said they want Harper-Madison\u2019s successor to listen to East Austin and use the influence of the office to get results.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWe need all the council people to take their positions very seriously,\u201d said Connie Kirk, a civil rights activist who was born and raised in East Austin, adding that she\u2019s looking for a council member who will engage with constituents and respond to their concerns.\u00a0<\/p>\n Harper-Madison has not endorsed a successor. Her chief of staff, Emmanuel Brantley, defended the council member\u2019s record in a lengthy statement that said, \u201cNo elected official\u2019s record can be adequately evaluated without accounting for the work that takes place beyond the Council dais.\u201d<\/p>\n The statement also stressed the \u201cmagnitude of the work ahead\u201d for the next District 1 representative.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe incoming [council member] will inherit major initiatives requiring sustained leadership, alongside an anticipated [c]ity budget shortfall, difficult decisions about social service funding, and significant development challenges,\u201d the statement said. \u201cThese responsibilities extend beyond any single [c]ouncil term and will shape the future of District 1 and the broader region.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Meet the candidates<\/p>\n Alexandria Anderson is a small-business owner and retired Nike sprinter. She chairs the city\u2019s Commission for Women and African American Resource Advisory Commission and serves on the executive committee of the Austin Neighborhood Council. Her endorsements include the Northeast Travis County Democrats and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.<\/p>\n Alexandria Anderson who is running for Austin City Council in District 1.<\/p>\n Ricardo B. Brazziell\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n Steven Brown was born and raised in East Austin and works in health care. He formerly co-chaired Save Austin Now and led its campaign against Proposition Q, a measure that would have increased the city property tax rate by more than 20%. His endorsers include former District 1 Council Member Ora Houston, former state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, Austin Police Association and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1091 (CapMetro union).<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Steven Brown, who is running for Austin City Council in District 1.<\/p>\n Ricardo B. Brazziell\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n Amber Goodwin has the highest political profile of the candidates, with experience on the Biden-Harris transition team, as chair of Austin\u2019s Gun Violence Task Force and as a Travis County assistant district attorney. She is endorsed by Council Members Krista Laine, Zo Qadri and Jos\u00e9 Vel\u00e1squez, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, the city workers\u2019 union and the Austin Central Labor Council.<\/p>\n Amber Goodwin, candidate Austin City Council District 1, speaks to the Statesman\u2019s editorial board during an interview in Austin on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026.<\/p>\n Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n Michael Nahas is a computer programmer and economist who is on the board of the urbanist organization An Austin for Everyone. He formerly chaired the city\u2019s Economic Prosperity Commission and served on the board of Community Housing Expansion of Austin, a nonprofit that operates two low-income housing cooperatives.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Michael Nahas, candidate Austin City Council District 1, speaks to the Statesman\u2019s editorial board during an interview in Austin on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026.<\/p>\n Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n Misael Ramos is a business analyst and former state employee who ran for the seat in 2022, finishing second to Harper-Madison. He is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. In September, he was arrested on a misdemeanor charge<\/a> of participating in a protest following the shooting of a Venezuelan-born food delivery driver by a federal immigration agent. Ramos\u2019 detention garnered widespread condemnation from progressive leaders and Ramos himself, who denies all wrongdoing in the still pending case.<\/p>\n Misael Ramos, who is running for Austin City Council in District 1.<\/p>\n Ricardo B. Brazziell\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n Portia Riggins was born and raised in East Austin. She has worked in accounting and analytics with Texas Realtors, appraisal support with the Travis Central Appraisal District and the city\u2019s 311 system.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Portia Riggins, candidate Austin City Council District 1, speaks to the Statesman\u2019s editorial board during an interview in Austin on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026.<\/p>\n Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n What District 1 voters want<\/p>\n District 1 stretches from Interstate 35 to Austin\u2019s eastern border near Pflugerville and includes parts of Manor. The district is home to Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park, Huston-Tillotson University and the African American Cultural Heritage District.<\/p>\n The area\u2019s history shapes the race. Austin\u2019s 1928 master plan pushed Black residents east of Interstate 35. Today, District 1 has the largest Black population<\/a> of any council district, though it is not majority Black. Residents interviewed for this story said they want the next council member to address housing affordability, displacement, public safety, infrastructure and transit \u2014 and to make sure East Austin\u2019s concerns get a hearing at City Hall.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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