Austin City Council races 2026: Districts 1, 3, 5, 8 and 9
Last checked: October 16, 2026. Five of Austin's ten Council districts are on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Two seats are open. Three incumbents are seeking re-election. This page lists every candidate in ballot order and links each incumbent's voting record. It does not say how to vote. The Austin Bulletin does not endorse.
Not sure which district you live in? Look up your address on Y'all, City Hall: Your District. Only voters in Districts 1, 3, 5, 8 and 9 see a Council race on their ballot this year. The mayor is not on the ballot.
Early voting runs October 19–30, and Election Day is November 3. Sites, hours and the rest of the ballot are on our Vote 2026 guide.
At a glance
| District | Candidates | Incumbent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Natasha Harper-Madison, not on the ballot (open seat) |
| 3 | 5 | José Velásquez, running |
| 5 | 4 | Ryan Alter, running |
| 8 | 2 | Paige Ellis, not on the ballot (open seat) |
| 9 | 5 | Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, running |
Candidate names and order are from the Travis County consolidated ballot, read October 14, 2026. Incumbents are from the Austin Chronicle, updated October 13.
Where candidates stand on the bonds and Prop I
What candidates told Austin Current and KUT at forums and in interviews this month. Propositions A and B are the $295 million parks and library bonds; Proposition I would require independent outside audits of every City department every five years. "Not reported" means the source did not give that candidate's position.
| District | Candidate | Props A and B (bonds) | Prop I (audits) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Ryan Alter (incumbent) | Supports | Opposes |
| 5 | David Weinberg | Supports | Supports |
| 5 | Farrah Abraham | Supports "strategic investments," but "taxpayers deserve complete transparency before approving new debt" | Supports |
| 5 | Liz Brink | Not reported | Not reported |
| 8 | Selena Xie | Supports | Not reported; proposes an audit every five years |
| 8 | Jeffery Bowen | Opposes, citing the City's debt | Not reported |
| 9 | Rich Heyman | Supports | Opposes |
| 9 | Katie Kam | Undecided | Supports |
| 9 | Zo Qadri (incumbent) | Hopes both pass | Opposes |
| 9 | Dave Thadani, Kai Huang | Did not respond to Austin Current | Did not respond |
Sources: Austin Current, District 5, October 14 · Austin Current, District 8, October 15 · Austin Current, District 9, October 15. KUT asked all six District 1 candidates the same six questions, including Prop I: KUT, October 16.
District 1 (open seat)
- Steven Brown
- Alexandria Anderson
- Amber K. Goodwin
- Michael Nahas
- Portia Riggins
- Misael Ramos
Natasha Harper-Madison has represented District 1 since 2018 and is not on the ballot this year. Austin Chronicle · Her record: Y'all, City Hall: Natasha Harper-Madison
The District 1 candidate panel was Thursday, October 15, at the Asian American Resource Center, the last of the five district panels. City of Austin
District 3
- Eduardo "Lalito" Romero
- Brock Skinner
- José Velásquez (incumbent)
- Gavin Fernandez Jr.
- Neha Shah
José Velásquez's record: 97% attendance from January 2023 to August 27, 2026, the latest official roll call. He voted no on the August 4 resolution that started the parks and library bond election, which passed 8-3, and yes on the August 6 ordinances that put the bonds and the charter amendments on the ballot. Full record: Y'all, City Hall: José Velásquez · August 4, item 2
District 5
- Liz Brink
- David Weinberg
- Ryan Alter (incumbent)
- Farrah Abraham
Ryan Alter's record: 97% attendance from January 2023 to August 27, 2026. He voted yes on the August 4 bond resolution and on the August 6 bond and charter election ordinances. Full record: Y'all, City Hall: Ryan Alter · August 4, item 2
District 8 (open seat)
- Jeffery Bowen
- Selena Xie
Selena Xie led the Austin EMS Association. Jeffery Bowen previously ran for mayor. KUT, August 25
Paige Ellis has served two four-year terms, the Charter's limit unless a member files a petition signed by 5% of the district's qualified voters. She needed 3,044 signatures and submitted more than 3,400. The City found the petition 62 valid signatures short and rejected it. Her term ends in January. KUT, August 25 · Her record: Y'all, City Hall: Paige Ellis
District 9
- Rich Heyman
- Katie Kam
- Zohaib "Zo" Qadri (incumbent)
- Dave Thadani
- Kai Huang
Zo Qadri's record: 98% attendance from January 2023 to August 27, 2026. He voted yes on the August 4 bond resolution and on the August 6 bond and charter election ordinances. On the August 12 budget, which passed 9-2 with Mayor Kirk Watson and Council Member Marc Duchen voting no, he said: "This budget isn't perfect, but I'm proud that we were able to protect some of the services Austinites depend on most." Full record: Y'all, City Hall: Zo Qadri · August 4, item 2 · Austin Current, August 12
The 2026 votes all three incumbents cast
- August 4, parks and library bond resolution, 8-3: Velásquez no; Alter and Qadri yes. Watson and Duchen also voted no. Y'all, City Hall: August 4, item 2
- August 6, bond election ordered and charter amendment election ordered: all three yes. Item 2 · Item 4
- August 12, the 2026-27 budget, 9-2: all three were among the nine yes votes; Watson and Duchen voted no. Austin Current, August 12 · Y'all, City Hall: August 12, item 7
What the bonds and the charter amendments would do: Propositions A and B · Propositions C–J. What the budget did: Austin's 2026-27 city budget.
If no one wins a majority
The City has scheduled a runoff candidate panel, if one is needed, for November 20, 6:30 p.m., in City Hall Council Chambers, 301 W. 2nd St. City of Austin We will add the runoff date when the County posts it.
Attendance is the share of meeting dates a member was present, computed by Y'all, City Hall from the City's official roll calls; it is not every roll call. This page is time-boxed to the November 2026 election.