A face that’s likely very familiar to longtime Austinites will be throwing his hat back into the local political ring. Former Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has announced he will be seeking his old job at City Hall.
“It’s official, I’m running to be the next Austin Mayor,” Watson Tweeted on Tuesday. “Austin is special, but we’re facing a lot of challenges ahead. By working together, we can create transformational change that doesn’t leave anyone behind.”
Watson was mayor from 1997 until 2001. After an unsuccessful attempt in 2002 to become Texas Attorney General, Watson later ran a successful campaign for Texas Senate where he spent 13 years before moving on.
Current Mayor Steve Adler, who has served in that role since the inception of the 10-1 council in 2014, will term out at the end of the year and is not eligible to run again.
