The 2022 Austin mayoral election was held on November 8, 2022 to elect the next
mayor of
Austin, Texas. The election was
nonpartisan; candidates' party affiliations did not appear on the ballot. Incumbent mayor
Steve Adler was term-limited and could not run for re-election. In the general election, state representative
Celia Israel and former mayor
Kirk Watson took the first two spots, leading realtor Jennifer Virden and several other candidates. Because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, the race proceeded to a
runoff election between Israel and Watson on December 13, which Watson won by 30 votes.[1]
Due to the passage of Proposition D in 2021, which scheduled mayoral elections in Austin to coincide with
presidential elections, the winner of this election is to serve a shortened two-year term.[2]
Though the election was officially
nonpartisan, the runoff candidates,
Celia Israel and
Kirk Watson, were both affiliated with the
Democratic Party.[3] Jennifer Virden, who was third place, had a reputation of being conservative.[4]
Steven Pedigo, director of UT's LBJ Urban Lab, indicated that Watson's support was centralized with longtime residences of Austin in areas like the Northwest, and Israel's support was with younger demographics in growing and gentrifying areas of South and East Austin.[5] According to Axios, Watson likely benefitted by the absence of
Beto O’Rourke, who drew out younger and more progressive voters, from appearing on the runoff ballot. Furthermore, voters who supported more conservative Virden were more inclined to opt for Watson in the runoff.[5]
Candidates
Declared
Craig Blanchard, business owner (party affiliation:
Democratic)[6]
The 2022 Austin mayoral election was held on November 8, 2022 to elect the next
mayor of
Austin, Texas. The election was
nonpartisan; candidates' party affiliations did not appear on the ballot. Incumbent mayor
Steve Adler was term-limited and could not run for re-election. In the general election, state representative
Celia Israel and former mayor
Kirk Watson took the first two spots, leading realtor Jennifer Virden and several other candidates. Because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, the race proceeded to a
runoff election between Israel and Watson on December 13, which Watson won by 30 votes.[1]
Due to the passage of Proposition D in 2021, which scheduled mayoral elections in Austin to coincide with
presidential elections, the winner of this election is to serve a shortened two-year term.[2]
Though the election was officially
nonpartisan, the runoff candidates,
Celia Israel and
Kirk Watson, were both affiliated with the
Democratic Party.[3] Jennifer Virden, who was third place, had a reputation of being conservative.[4]
Steven Pedigo, director of UT's LBJ Urban Lab, indicated that Watson's support was centralized with longtime residences of Austin in areas like the Northwest, and Israel's support was with younger demographics in growing and gentrifying areas of South and East Austin.[5] According to Axios, Watson likely benefitted by the absence of
Beto O’Rourke, who drew out younger and more progressive voters, from appearing on the runoff ballot. Furthermore, voters who supported more conservative Virden were more inclined to opt for Watson in the runoff.[5]
Candidates
Declared
Craig Blanchard, business owner (party affiliation:
Democratic)[6]