Council Races Get a Little More Hairy

WTF, exactly, is going on here?

"It is my desire to give back to the greatest city in this country. The city council, as it currently stands, could use some new blood (and beards) to invigorate it!," said [­Future Austin City Council Member Allen "Councilman"] Demling. "I'm looking forward to running, sharing my vision for Austin's future, and allowing the voters to get to know me."

I'll say this much: any candidate capable of earning the vaunted Misprint Magazine endorsement will be a formidable candidate.

Full press release after the jump.

For Immediate Release

AUSTIN, TX –­ Future Austin City Council Member Allen "Councilman" Demling confirmed today that he will run for election to the Place 1 seat in 2008. The election is Saturday, May 10, 2008.

"It is my desire to give back to the greatest city in this country. The city council, as it currently stands, could use some new blood (and beards) to invigorate it!," said Demling. "I'm looking forward to running, sharing my vision for Austin's future, and allowing the voters to get to know me."

Mr. Demling is running for city council because a change is needed. He believes that the current council is leading the city in the wrong direction and destroying the essence of its character. He feels they place too much emphasis on corporate interests, increasing the tax base, and the short-sighted needs of developers. Allen's focus is a bit simpler: improving the lives of the people of Austin.

Allen has a clear vision of where Austin should be in the short term as well as the next 10, 50, and 100 years. He believes the vibrant culture of Austin—the people, the institutions, the arts community, and the nightlife—is Austin's greatest asset and is threatened by current city leadership. As an active contributor to the city's cultural character, rather than an outside observer, he understands that protecting the art and music scene is vital to the Austin way of life. Allen will seek to preserve the culture of Austin while leading the city growth in a responsible and sustainable fashion.

Allen and his campaign staff will be at Club DeVille on Friday, February 9th for the 2nd Annual Misprint Magazine Beard and Moustache competition. This year, Allen has his sights set on winning the competition. He has a fundraising event scheduled for February 22nd at the Scoot Inn. Details of that event will come later.

ABOUT ALLEN "COUNCILMAN" DEMLING
Allen Demling graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. It was during his studies that he fell in love with Austin. Allen is currently employed at the prominent Austin technology firm National Instruments. He is a member of the Austin Cycling Association, the Austin Regional Group of the Sierra Club, the Travis Audubon Society, and the Human Rights Campaign.