Brewster's Big (Pre-)Announcement

Get ready to refresh your browsers at brewstermccracken.com on Monday: that's when Mayor Pro Tem Brewster McCracken will officially kick off his run for mayor, and his old council seat campaign site becomes his new mayoral campaign site.

The two-term place 5 incumbent actually filed his campaign paperwork yesterday, naming utilities and telecom attorney Martha Smiley as his treasurer. This makes him the fourth person to file (although that doesn't ensure they'll actually run a campaign): there's obviously Carole Keeton Strahorn; political newcomer Josiah Ingalls; and it wouldn't be an Austin mayoral election without eternal candidate Jennifer Gale.

Piggy-baking off the Pecan Street Project smart grid initiative that he's seemingly making a cornerstone of his campaign, McCracken will be making his anouncement at the offices of solar energy firm Heliovolt at noon Monday (btw, he's also looking for campaign contributions and volunteers). The clock is now officially ticking for the moment when his presumed main rival, Lee Leffingwell, makes his mind up whether he's in or not.

McCracken's full press release after the break.

Dear friends,

This coming Monday, December 8, 2008, I will be announcing my candidacy for Mayor of Austin. I hope you will be able to join me as I lay out my vision for Austin's future and the specific actions I intend to take to implement this vision.

I know Austin faces challenging times. But the last two times we faced challenges like this, we came together as a community, unified around a vision for the future and emerged stronger than we were before. I know we can do this again. I believe in Austin.

Austin has always done best by leading with our values. We are a community with the vision to take on the big challenges and the foresight to protect what we love.

By innovating while remaining true to our community values, we will achieve the promise of what a great American city can be.

I'll provide specific details Monday on how, by innovating and leading with our values, we can:

* Seize the opportunities of the new energy economy to create thousands of green collar jobs open to Austinites of all skill levels.
* Re-invent our energy system so that we can meet our power needs, protect our environment and once again set an example of innovation for the nation.
* Restore the promise of Austin as a community accessible to everyone, including the less fortunate.
* Create a renewed focus on improving the livability of Austin neighborhoods.

Here are the details for Monday's announcement:

Brewster McCracken for Mayor announcement
Monday, December 8, 2008 Noon
HelioVolt, 6301-8 E. Stassney

Also, I would be very honored if you support my candidacy. Please let my campaign know by emailing to [email protected]

Running a citywide campaign for mayor will require volunteers, supporters, financial support, and most of all, votes.

I would be very grateful for your financial support. If you are in a position to support my campaign financially, please send a contribution to:

Brewster McCracken for Mayor
3616 Far West, Ste. 117-231
Austin, TX 78731

The maximum contribution in this election is $350 per person and $700 per couple. I will have the ability to accept online contributions as of Monday, when I launch my campaign website at www.brewstermccracken.com

I hope you will be able to join me on Monday as I launch my campaign to create a brighter future for Austin.

Sincerely,

Brewster