The portion of South Austin that makes up District 5 could see new representation for the next four years, as incumbent Ryan Alter faces three opponents competing to claim the seat. Among the district’s residents’ largest concerns are the lack of adequate public transportation, the development of affordable housing, and the area’s homeless population.
Looking back on his four years as a Council member, Alter said that generating more access to affordable housing, mitigating the cycle of homelessness, and strengthening the city’s public safety through the Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team are some of his greatest accomplishments.
“Evidence shows better outcomes for the person in crisis; they don’t repeat offend nearly as often, it’s cheaper, and it frees up the police. … So it’s just win-win-win across the board,” Alter told the Chronicle.
And he doesn’t deny that he and his fellow Council members fell short in some areas. In hindsight, he said Council “got Prop Q wrong.”
“Just from a pure timing perspective as well as being clear with the public, we did not get that right,” Alter explained.
The Council member also said the Dog’s Head “process was flawed,” giving the public minimal time to provide feedback as the dais rushed the vote to secure the deal. “Staff did not do the right amount of public engagement, public communication, and the developer as well,” Alter said. “There were a number of colossal faults to go around.”
If elected for a second term, Alter said he would prioritize fiscal responsibility, continuing to enhance public safety, generating more affordable housing, and improving the city’s parks and recreation system.
“I do think that I’ve proven myself to be one of the most effective Council members in the past four years. … I have proven myself to be studied, to have taken the time, to get into the details, know the issue, push back on staff when they’re going in a direction that is not where we should be going, and I don’t think we can afford to trade that away and start over,” he said.
One of his three opponents, David Weinberg, a 17-year resident of the district, thinks that is a trade Austinites should be willing to make. Having previously served as chief of staff for New York state Rep. Linda B. Rosenthal and worked with multiple organizations focused on protecting the environment, including leading the Texas League of Conservation Voters, he has also advocated for voting rights at the Brennan Center for Justice and now owns a political consulting firm. Weinberg told the Chronicle a combination of being “deeply disappointed” in how the district has been represented over the last four years and growing support from others led him to throw his name in the hat to represent District 5 the next four years. “I felt the incumbent was doing a very, very poor job representing the district,” he said.
Weinberg said he is not the only D5 constituent to express that sentiment. Specifically looking at the sensitive homelessness issue within the district, he said that residents he has spoken to feel like Alter could be doing a more thorough job at engaging with the community’s concerns. “I talk to people who live around Sunrise [Homeless Navigation Center], and it’s kind of like … we don’t feel like Ryan has really been kind of present for most of that,” he said. “I want to be somebody who’s present in the community.”
The candidate also takes issue with a handful of decisions Alter made that could potentially negatively affect the area’s green spaces – initially supporting elements of the now-shelved 2023 Zilker Park Vision Plan, which Weinberg rallied against, and more recently, supporting gas-powered peaker plants and the unpopular Dog’s Head agreement. “Ryan is voting with big special interest groups that give a lot of money to Council members, and I would vote differently on all that stuff,” Weinberg said.
Liz Brink is the blue-collar nominee for the South Austin district. The union electrician and first-time candidate for public office decided to run for Council because she was “tired of bitching” about decisions the city has been making. “What is City Council thinking? Like, are they not listening to what people are saying? It just really felt like the citizens just aren’t being heard,” she told the Chronicle.
Through conversations with District 5 residents, Brink said that the homeless population and housing development remain the largest concerns for her neighbors. She specifically looked to 6200 Menchaca, where the city plans to build a multi-story affordable housing apartment complex. She said the existing residents in the area have been overlooked.
“The goal is just to cram as many people as you can, instead of being thoughtful about it,” Brink said. “Maybe you can reduce the units, and maybe instead of just being only renters, we can have some ownership opportunities. … You have to be mindful of the community.”
Similar to Weinberg, the Dog’s Head agreement rubbed Brink the wrong way. “I don’t think that Austin should get sold out for the sake of development,” she said. “That was a really dirty way of going about it.” However, as far as general data center development goes – which Council is currently in the process of regulating – Brink believes there are economic opportunities the city could capitalize on. “I’m not against the building of data centers,” she said. “I don’t have a problem if the city wants to have certain restrictions, but I wouldn’t have a ban on it.”
For Farrah Abraham, the fourth – and most unexpected – candidate on the ticket, data center regulation isn’t a large concern, she stated that the rise of artificial intelligence is a “made-up crisis.” Abraham, who gained fame in her youth as a cast member in MTV’s 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom and has since appeared in other reality television shows, wants to “stand with everybody” to strengthen the district.
As for her primary concerns, Abraham pointed to the basic necessities. “My top priority is making sure that everybody has food, water, shelter. … If people are saying that they do not have these common essential needs met, that is definitely a top priority. That is killing Austinites. So if anyone is feeling like they’re gonna die, I’m gonna make sure they’re gonna live.”
The self-described “teen mom on a budget” said that city spending remains an issue that she would address. “If you put me in a position of, like you’re saying, budgets, get this stretched out, do an audit, make sure that these funds are lasting or better allocated, or whatever the case may be, I am there looking at all the variables,” Abraham said. “And also, if you need more money somewhere, I’m the girl to fundraise and get you more money for anything.”
Editor’s note: Since publishing, the article has been updated to further clarify David Weinberg’s professional experiences in Texas.
We also originally stated that Ryan Alter voted for the 2023 Zilker Vision Plan. The plan was actually suspended before Council took a vote. The Chronicle regrets the error.
MORE OF THE STORY
Meet the Candidates Vying for Five City Council Seats
District 1: Six Candidates Race to Represent East Austin
District 3: Four East Austinites Challenge José Velásquez for His Seat
District 8: First Responder and City Scrutinizer Face Off
District 9: Zo Qadri’s Council Voting Record Draws Several Challengers
This article appears in October 9 • 2026.
