BG Reads | News You Need to Know (November 4, 2020)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
*NEW* BG Blog: By the Numbers: Austin and Travis County 2020 Election Results (BLOG LINK)
[AUSTIN METRO]
Fuentes coasts to victory in District 2 (Austin Monitor)
Political newcomer Vanessa Fuentes was headed toward a victory in the District 2 race Tuesday night after the early vote was counted, showing her with more than 56 percent of the vote. Her two competitors, David Chincanchan and Casey Ramos, each had less than 20 percent of the vote. A fourth candidate, Alex Strenger, had stopped campaigning and endorsed Ramos; however, Strenger’s name was still on the ballot and he received about 5 percent of the vote.
After the first batch of Election Day votes was added to the early votes, Fuentes had 12,117 votes, compared to about 4,200 for Ramos and less than 4,000 for Chincanchan. Chincanchan had support from numerous Democratic clubs and had served as chief of staff to Council Member Pio Renteria. Fuentes won the endorsement of the Austin American-Statesman and the EMS employees union.
Fuentes will be taking over the seat currently held by Delia Garza, who was elected to be the next Travis County attorney without an opponent on the ballot Tuesday. In a Facebook Live post, Fuentes gave credit to Garza, the first Latina elected to Austin’s City Council. She noted that with her election she would continue the Latina perspective on Council.
Fuentes, who spent the last six years working for the American Heart Association, made health care for the residents of District 2, one of the poorer districts in the city, an important part of her campaign. She promised to work hard to bring more health care options to the district. “I got into this race because of the ‘health divide’ we have here in Austin,” she said. In her ZIP code, Fuentes said, her life expectancy is 10 years less than it would be if she lived in West Austin… (LINK TO STORY)
Casar headed toward easy victory in District 4 (Austin Monitor)
Council Member Greg Casar was headed toward an easy reelection victory Tuesday night after winning two-thirds of the early vote. Casar, who has held the District 4 seat since 2015, faced two opponents who had little money and messages that obviously did not resonate with the mostly minority district. The early vote, which included 65 percent of those registered to vote, is indicative of how the rest of the electorate will vote.
Casar has been a leader on the most progressive city initiatives, including the Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance and repealing the law prohibiting public camping. In a news release after the early vote was announced, Casar said, “Austin has the opportunity to become a model for what progressive and inclusive governance can achieve. We are leading the nation in reimagining public safety, investing in affordable housing, finding solutions to climate change, protecting lives from Covid-19, and focusing recovery efforts where they’re needed the most.”
He concluded, “Despite constant fear-mongering from extremist officials like the governor, Austin has spoken loud and clear. We’re not going to be bullied, and we’re not going to turn back from our progressive values.”
Louis C. Herrin III, an engineer who has competed in two previous races for the same seat, received a little more than 24 percent of the vote. Herrin, a Republican, argued that the city should have built a police substation on the Home Depot site rather than the mixed-use housing development currently proposed. Herrin tweeted, “Austin was safer before Greg Casar! Vote him out! This is not humane, compassionate or safe! One of my top priorities is to reinstate the public camping ban.”
Casar’s other opponent, Ramesses II Setepenre, did not raise or spend any money on his campaign. In a forum sponsored by the Austin Monitor and KUT, Setepenre, who describes himself as a “gay eco-socialist,” said he favored less funding for the police as well as new leadership… (LINK TO STORY)
Flannigan and Kelly to face off in December for District 6 (Austin Monitor)
District 6 is primed for a runoff between incumbent Jimmy Flannigan, who won just over 38 percent of the vote, and challenger Mackenzie Kelly, who earned just over 36 percent.
Unlike other City Council districts, a significant portion of the far northwest district is conservative, as its electoral history illustrates. So it’s unsurprising that Flannigan, who has been an outspoken advocate for liberal causes like reimagining public safety, drew a few opponents this time around. He’ll face off against his most conservative challenger in December.
“District 6 is very familiar with the choice before them in December. We do not want to go back to the days of my predecessor where we were the laughingstock of this region, and the city. And that is exactly what my opponent represents,” Flannigan said, referencing former Council Member Don Zimmerman.
“I am confident that this district is not interested in moving backwards. We want to move forwards. It’s proven by the district’s support of Prop A and Prop B. This is a district ready to take on the future, and that’s what we’re going to do,” he said. “District 6 has always been a place of very diverse perspectives and beliefs. It’s been a real honor representing District 6 for the last four years and I believe that I have earned the trust and faith of this community to get four more years.”
This is Kelly’s second time running for the District 6 office, and it will be her first runoff. During the campaign she made a concerted effort to get the word out that she was aligned with groups that have been intensely critical of City Council’s handling of homelessness in the city and reallocation of police funding… (LINK TO STORY)
Pool reelected to District 7 (Austin Monitor)
In a race against sole opponent Morgan Witt, District 7 Council Member Leslie Pool earned over two-thirds of the vote in a bid for re-election. Pool received 27,255 of the 40,530 votes counted in the District 7 race as of Tuesday night, marking her third consecutive Council victory and the start of a second full term.
“I really appreciate the strong support for my work,” Pool said during a watch party with the Travis County Democratic Party. “It’s hard work on the Council. You guys see us – it’s a pretty naked kind of representation at City Hall, so I am always grateful to see the support that I have from my neighbors.”
Witt, a political newcomer with a background in education, had received 13,275 votes in the Northwest Austin district late Tuesday.
“Well, folks, we gave this race a damn good run,” Witt tweeted after early results had been posted. “It may be over today, but the fight for a better Austin continues.”
As both candidates aligned with core values of the Democratic Party, Pool and Witt contrasted most sharply on matters of growth and housing. While Pool has sided with neighborhoods in the effort to revise the city’s Land Development Code, Witt has called for comprehensive zoning reform to meet the growing affordability and environmental challenges ahead.
Witt’s focus on creating dense and inclusive neighborhoods earned the endorsements of urbanist group AURA as well as Sunrise Movement Austin. Pool earned the endorsements of the Sierra Club, Education Austin and Central Austin Democrats. Bike Austin endorsed both candidates.
Pool was elected District 7 representative in December 2014, winning a runoff race against Jeb Boyt. Pool then defeated development-friendly challenger Natalie Gauldin, a co-founder of Friends of the Grove, in the November 2016 general election. Pool earned nearly 72 percent of the District 7 vote, with 21,411 votes, in 2016… (LINK TO STORY)
Alter, Virden will compete in runoff for District 10 (Austin Monitor)
Austin tech startups raised hundreds of millions of dollars in October, and several companies were acquired or scooped up other companies to expand their reach.
Among headline deals were the $100M round that Austin- and Akron-based RVshare reported, as well as a $60M investment for CS Disco, which had gone through layoffs earlier this year. Meanwhile, local electric truck company Hyliion IPOed, and Austin robotic barista startup Briggo was acquired by a subsidiary of Coca Cola… (LINK TO STORY)
Voters pass Project Connect transit plan (Austin Monitor)
With the passage of Proposition A, voters have given the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority the green light to build out the core elements of the city’s first mass transit system over the coming decade as part of a $7.1 billion initial investment in the $10 billion Project Connect system.
Capital Metro Board Chair Wade Cooper declared victory for Prop A in a press conference Tuesday night, with the plan receiving nearly 59 percent of counted votes. While Austinites have previously rejected efforts toward mass public transit, Cooper said Project Connect represents a collaborative effort that has been carried to victory by “young voters” who “showed up in droves and took ownership in changing the future for our city.”
Project Connect is expected to remove an estimated 43,000 tons of carbon emissions from the atmosphere each year with its fully electric bus and rail network. The initial investment includes 27 miles of rail service connecting to destinations such as the airport, the Austin FC stadium, Colony Park and the Domain. The plan also includes a transit tunnel to separate the Orange and Blue light rail lines from vehicle traffic in the downtown core, three MetroRapid bus lines, three MetroExpress routes, nine park-and-rides and 15 new on-demand neighborhood circulator zones.
“It has been a long road, but we now have a data-driven, community-designed plan that voters are telling us they want us to build,” Capital Metro CEO Randy Clarke said Tuesday night. Clarke said the next step for the Capital Metro team is to return to work Wednesday and begin work on delivering the MetroRapid projects and MetroRail Red Line improvements that will be among the first completed elements of Project Connect.
Most of the opposition to Project Connect came from precincts in West Austin. Organized opposition to the plan from groups like Our Mobility Our Future and Voices of Austin focused primarily on the plan’s price tag, which will add an increase of under 4 percent to the Austin homeowner’s overall property tax bill, an addition of approximately $284 for a $325,000 home. The opposition groups cast doubt on these estimates, arguing that the expectation of a 45 percent federal match is also a false guarantee that could ultimately fall on the shoulders of taxpayers.
Despite these objections and the economic concerns surrounding the pandemic, the plan had received 227,387 votes by late Tuesday night… (LINK TO STORY)
Proposition B: Austin approves $460M in transportation infrastructure bonds (KVUE)
Austin voters have said yes to spending $460 million on transportation infrastructure.
Early totals show that voters have chosen to approve the City of Austin’s Proposition B. The proposition approves $460 million in property tax-supported general obligation bonds for transportation infrastructure like sidewalks, bikeways, urban trails, safe routes to schools, substandard streets and transportation safety projects such as Vision Zero… (LINK TO STORY)
[TEXAS]
Trump defeats Biden in Texas (The Hill)
President Trump defeated Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Texas on Tuesday, fending off efforts by Democrats to turn the state blue this election cycle.
The Associated Press called the Lone Star State for Trump shortly after 1 a.m. EST on Wednesday.
Trump won Texas in 2016 by 9 percentage points against Hillary Clinton, the narrowest margin for a GOP presidential candidate in some time. The Trump campaign expressed confidence leading up to Election Day that Republicans would hold the state, despite efforts by the Biden campaign to target voters there.
Texas has not voted for a Democrat in a presidential race since 1976, when Jimmy Carter was elected.
Polls leading up to Election Day showed a close race in the Lone Star State. Democrats had hoped that a surge in early voting would lead to a Biden victory.
Texas, which has 38 electoral college votes, is viewed as critical to Trump’s reelection efforts… (LINK TO STORY)
Democrats' hopes of flipping Texas again fall short as Republicans dominate the state's 2020 elections (Texas Tribune)
Some thought it might happen as early as 2014 — and then 2016, and, of course, in 2018.
When all those elections proved disappointing, Texas Democrats said 2020 would be the year, given record voter turnout, a once-in-a-century pandemic that grew out of control under Republican leadership and a highly controversial president.
But 2020 proved another disappointment for the state’s minority party as Republicans remained dominant in Texas, appearing poised to maintain victories in all statewide offices and both chambers of the Legislature. In what has become a familiar refrain, Texas Democrats pointed to 2020’s narrow losses as symbolic victories — signs that the state will one day change in their favor… (LINK TO STORY)
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton files for temporary injunction to end El Paso County’s coronavirus surge shutdown (CBS)
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a motion Tuesday, Nov. 3, for temporary injunction to stop El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego’s COVID-19 shutdown order. Judge Samaniego ordered the shutdown on Thursday, Oct. 29 amid a skyrocketing number of COVID-19 cases he said was “overwhelming” the county’s medical resources. In-person dining was among the non-essential activities Samaniego’s order targeted.
The order also closed bars, gyms, tattoo parlors and nail and hair salons, and directed residents to shelter in place except for essential tasks. Grocery and drug stores, funeral homes, health care services and government activities were among activities deemed essential, as were all election-related activities. “Judge Samaniego has no authority to flout Gov. Abbott’s executive orders by shutting down businesses in El Paso County,” said Attorney General Paxton.
“I am optimistic that the district court will recognize the unlawfulness of this action and quickly stop these orders from further oppressing the El Paso community.” Last Friday, Oct. 30, Paxton joined several El Paso County restaurant owners in suing to block a county order shutting down all non-essential activities for two weeks. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Wednesday, November 4… (LINK TO STORY)
Texas groups urge Black residents to prepare for post-election violence (Houston Chronicle)
Two Texas community organizations are warning black residents to remove political signs from their yards and prepare for potential turmoil as results of the divisive presidential election roll in after polls close on Tuesday. The Black Leaders Collective and 10,000 Fearless First Responders, both Austin-based organizations, released a flyer titled "Black Community Alert" encouraging people to stay home after voting and offering tips to protect themselves and their property if conflicts or violence break out.
Christina Muhammad, coordinator for the 10,000 Fearless First Responders, said the guidelines are meant to help people protect themselves and avoid trouble as tensions run high, she said. "I want to see everybody alive the next day, the next week and the next month," Muhammad said. "Our responsibility as a first responder is to promote accountability."
There were no reported incidents of violence or intimidation at Harris County polling locations as of midday Tuesday. Houston police said officers will be out in force Tuesday and in the days after the election. Still, anxiety remained high as voters went to the polls. Some businesses in large cities boarded up windows in the days before the election and gun sales increased in recent months. "When you have anger that's so high, everybody wants to fight," Muhammad said. "We’ve got to shut that down before it gets crazy."… (LINK TO STORY)
Sen. John Cornyn wins fourth term over Democrat MJ Hegar (Dallas Morning News)
Texas Sen. John Cornyn, outperforming President Donald Trump in a once bright red state, won a fourth term Tuesday over Democrat MJ Hegar. At about 8:20 p.m., Hegar called Cornyn to concede, said Cornyn spokesman Travis Considine. Cornyn grabbed another six years in Washington by re-establishing the GOP’s dominance in suburbs where both Joe Biden this year and Beto O’Rourke in 2018 had made incursions.
Hegar, who’d run a strong congressional race in Central Texas two years ago before losing to longtime GOP Rep. John Carter, struggled to put away several Democratic contenders in this year’s Senate contest. Hegar, a decorated Air Force rescue helicopter pilot, though, appeared to be closing the gap last month. She was buoyed by late contributions to her campaign and outside groups' help… (LINK TO STORY)
[NATION]