Campaign Snapshots

District 5

7pm, Monday, Sept. 22
Austin Community College, South Austin Campus, 1820 W. Stassney

This central/south district runs from Zilker, through Barton Hills down to Cherry Creek, and captures Southpark and Onion Creek on the east. The largely white (59.5% Anglo) district features seven candidates.

Ann Kitchen, an attorney and former Texas Rep. for Austin, offers her years of political experience promoting health care and environmental protection (a co-founder of Save Our Springs Alliance), and points to her "proven track record" as evidence that citizens won't have to play a guessing game of how she'll vote if elected. She leads in endorsements and campaign cash, gathering $42,000 in donations during the initial filing period and nods from the Austin Central Labor Council, Stonewall Demo­crats, Clean Water Action, Network of Asian American Organizations PAC, and the Workers Defense Action Fund.

Realtor Dan Buda touts his own political and policy experience in areas of public safety, traffic congestion, and managing rapid growth – he spent several years working at the Capitol, including stints as committee director for the late state Sen. Mario Gal­le­gos Jr., D-Houston, and as chief of staff to state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth.

By partisan contrast, Jason Denny is executive director of the Texas Young Republicans and a Travis County GOP precinct chairman. The General Land Office employee is a former U.S. Marine, and dubs himself a fiscally responsible "pragmatist" staunchly opposed to "pet projects," and a proponent of water conservation and crime prevention. The other Republican vying for the Dem-heavy district is Mike Rodriguez, an Air Force veteran and retired financial advisor, who was inspired to run through his 10-1 redistricting activism. Issues like responsive and transparent governance (he calls current council leadership "out of touch") and affordability are important to Rodriguez.

A computer systems technician with the IRS, Dave Senecal is running on a platform that calls for better South Austin representation at City Hall, more attention to infrastructure and roads, and a clear growth plan for city services. Attorney Dave Floyd cites his legal and nonprofit leadership experience (i.e. co-founding local artist nonprofit support group, the Creative Fund), advocating for economic development and multimodal transportation. He's described himself as a "moderate centrist" who plans to defend the middle and working class. And late filer CarolAnnRose Kennedy, best known as a Citizens Communication regular, serenading Council with critical and satirical songs – will likely add a little color to the campaign.