Mixing Young, New Voters Worked for Kim

When Jennifer Kim's supporters started gathering on the patio of the South Congress Cafe at about 8pm Saturday, many were ready for a night of uncertainty. The early vote had installed Margot Clarke in an easy first place with 40% of the vote, while Kim was neck and neck with Gregg Knaupe for a spot in the run-off. But as precincts began reporting and Kim's numbers steadily inched up, the quesadilla-munching crowd began buzzing with optimism.

Kim's campaign staff likes to say they bring new people into the process, and among them were first-time campaign volunteers Hussain Malik and wife Anjum, who swung by for a quick round of hellos before hitting Betty Dunkerley and Lee Leffingwell's parties. The Maliks decided to get involved with city politics when much of West Campus was rezoned for high density (i.e., tall buildings) but their House of Tutors on Pearl Street was left out. While the couple enjoyed placing signs and working polling places on election day, the experience was not without its mildly depressing side. "You hear about the low turnout, but when you actually see it, you really wish more people would get involved," Hussain said. "At Anderson High, you could be twiddling your thumbs all day," Anjum added. About 60,000 people voted in the Place 3 race, or about 12% of eligible voters.

Kim's party also included a lot of young faces, thirtysomethings of the sort who drink mojitos and get excited about urban planning. Jay Reddy of the Planning Commission said he was backing Kim because of her experience working on affordable housing and similar issues, while Urban Transportation Committee member and monorail enthusiast Patrick Goetz said he thought Kim had the brains and the vision to pull off the downtown redevelopment that Austin needs. "I decided the fuzzy-headed hippie thing wasn't going to work for Austin anymore," Goetz said. He wasn't the only young planning junkie on the cafe patio. Bjorn Billhardt, Struan Vaz, and Katrina Le waxed ecstatic over great downtowns in between celebratory shots. "I'll be living downtown in a year, and I'd like to see more walkable shopping," said Le. Billhardt, who is originally from Germany, agreed. "European cities have wonderful downtowns, where people shop and congregate and create a community," he said. "I have a vision for Austin, a vibrant downtown that combines the best of America with the best of these European cities." Asked whether such comments might rankle those who worry about Austin's existing character, the trio scoffed.

"What is Austin, anyway?" Vaz asked. "It doesn't have to be stagnant."

At about 9:30pm, with 222 precincts reporting, Kim's campaign manager Amy Everhart took the floor. "Jennifer, you have made the run-off!" Everhart hollered. Kim had earned a hair over 27% of the vote, while Knaupe was down to about 21%. Kim expressed the usual excitement and thanks, particularly for the firefighters' endorsement. Then Everhart, head of the only all-female campaign team in the race, announced her own triumph. "I would just like to say: We beat the boys!" she said. The team now must beat Clarke on June 11.