Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has emerged as the apparent winner of the mayoral race, according to unofficial tallies from Travis, Hays, and Williamson Counties. With over 50% of the vote, Watson has secured his victory with 175,090 total votes, just 14 votes above the runoff threshold.
Although the results are not yet finalized, Watson expressed his gratitude to the voters for their confidence in him. He acknowledged the challenge of winning outright against four opponents in a presidential election year and pledged to continue serving Austin for a fourth term.
In the event of a runoff, Carmen Llanes Pulido would have been Watson’s challenger. Llanes Pulido emphasized the importance of ensuring that every vote is accurately counted and every voice is heard before making any official declarations.
The race was too close to call on election night, with Watson initially holding 50.01% of the vote. The remaining ballots, including overseas, military, late mail, and provisional ballots, could have potentially pushed the race into a runoff. However, with all ballots now counted, Watson has surpassed the threshold and is on track to secure his fourth term as Austin Mayor.
As Travis County prepares for its canvass on Nov. 15 and Williamson County on Nov. 19, the Texas Secretary of State has set a deadline of Nov. 19 for finalized results to be posted. The race for Austin mayor has been a closely watched contest, and the official results are eagerly awaited by all parties involved.
This story is still developing, and further updates will be provided as more information becomes available. Stay tuned for the latest developments in the Austin mayoral election.
