Here’s the roster of candidates — including three incumbents — who are running for the three City Council seats up for grabs on May 4:
Place One
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Daryl Slusher accepted help (apparently legally) in his bid to bypass term limits from a political action committee formed by ex-mayor Bruce Todd, his former campaign rival. Yet this former activist — and politics editor of this paper — is also backed by most (though definitely not all) enviro/neighbor advocates who contend he has remained true to his green roots and support for basic services.
photo by John Anderson |
Vincent W. Aldridge, an attorney from South Austin, serves on the city’s Zoning and Platting Commission and once sat on the Bond Oversight Committee. He’s “fed up” with the way the city has been run, he says, particularly backdoor politics and red tape, but admits that he hasn’t developed any specific plans to reverse those trends. He’s doesn’t plan on winning, either. “I just plan on raising a few issues and raising open debate.”
photo by Alan Pogue |
Jennifer Gale, Austin’s permanent candidate-for-office, last lost to U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, in the congressional primary race; in November, Gus Garcia beat her in the mayoral race. But Gale hasn’t given up on her dreams — and we expect that Tenacious G hasn’t given up on her past planks, either: reducing traffic, providing regular health care to low-income Austinites, and creating single-member districts.
photo by John Anderson |
Kirk Mitchell, a longtime enviro fixture, is in his second go-round as board chair of the Save Our Springs Alliance. He ran for county commissioner in 1998 as an independent and was once an enthusiastic Slusher supporter, contributor (Mitchell is the scion of one of Houston’s wealthiest families), and pool-playing pal. “The circles of your life do close, don’t they?” Mitchell said. He supports environmental protections, land acquisition measures to prevent sprawl and save infrastructure costs, and the “desubsidization” of suburbia.
photo by John Anderson |
Craig Barrett, a senior at UT, lives in West Campus and works part-time in the database marketing department of National Instruments. He recently picked up an endorsement from the Travis County Libertarian Party, and emphasizes cutting corporate subsidies, balancing the budget, building bridges with business, and exploring privatization of city services. He also supports an “open and fair, community-based” police oversight committee and traffic improvements.
Place Three
photo by John Anderson |
Jackie Goodman — after nine years on the City Council, the mayor pro tem retains a substantial following among enviro and neighborhood leaders and is still the champion of efforts like neighborhood planning. The former preschool teacher is also the Council’s leading advocate for women’s and children’s issues.
photo by John Anderson |
Linda Curtis styles herself as an in-your-face activist, and there are not many who would dispute that claim. For better or worse, Curtis is committed to reforming the political process — from City Hall on up. She says she jumped into the race less to challenge Goodman than to challenge her petitions; Curtis had just concluded a petition drive herself, as one of Griffith’s paid canvassers, and led the clipboard wielders who got the 1997 campaign-finance reform plan on the ballot. This is Curtis’ second run for City Council.
Billy Sifuentes, former Austin Police Deptartment officer and lifelong Austinite, advocates a progressive platform that supports health and human services, environmental protections, and more responsive police, EMS, and fire departments. He says he would continue the two-year budget Jesus Garza implemented after Sept. 11, but would not cut additional city jobs. He also believes council should work with the Chambers of Commerce to push a “Buy Austin” program to rejuvenate the battered local economy.
Robin Stallings, a longtime bicycle activist and commercial real estate broker, called himself the “relief pitcher” in the race, and dropped out when Goodman was declared eligible.
Place Four
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Beverly Griffith — even her detractors acknowledge that Griffith has unflinchingly stood by the environmental and neighborhood platforms that got the longtime chair of Austin’s parks board elected in the first place. She is running for her third term with much (but not all) of the support she carried in her first and second Place 4 victories, though she consistently draws heat for her seemingly stubborn demeanor on the dais, leaving her as the lone dissenting council vote on many occasions.
| photo by John Anderson |
Betty Dunkerley, a City Hall insider for 12 years, is mounting her first campaign for public office. Capitalizing on the “financial guru” moniker she earned while managing the city’s purse — her campaign logo resembles a price tag — she is one of a few novice campaigners to come with a record. Dunkerley entered the race with a political cross-section of support — from progressive former council member Brigid Shea to the man Shea beat, conservative Bob Larson.
photo by John Anderson |
Eddie “Green– Bradford (Green is his middle name, for the record) holds UT degrees in math and economics and currently works as a benefits consultant. He says he seeks to give students a greater voice in policy decisions, enhance Austin’s environmental laws, and to explore the prospects of low-cost commuter rail. Like Barrett, he is endorsed by the Libertarian Party.
photo by John Anderson |
Brewster McCracken is an attorney, novelist, and former reserve Army officer (also a deacon at Covenant Presbyterian Church). His top priorities are to reduce traffic congestion, bring “good jobs” back to Austin, strengthen city services and public safety, promote clean energy, and cut red tape to make living here more affordable. McCracken has racked up support from ex-mayor Bruce Todd, environmentalist Robin Rather, and a host of other city luminaries.
This article appears in April 12 • 2002.