Austin mayoral candidate Kirk Watson secured a campaign endorsement from a realtor trade organization in the state capital on Tuesday.
Watson posted on Twitter that his bid for the city’s top office is endorsed by the Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR).
“Thank you, Austin Board of Realtors, for endorsing our campaign!” Watson tweeted. “A key tenet of ABoR that we share is that fair and equitable access to housing is deserved by all. This is crucial and I’m looking forward to working together to find affordability solutions that work for our entire community.”
ABoR announced the endorsement on its social media platforms and a press release.
“Throughout his distinguished career of public service, Kirk has proven he can bring people together to make meaningful change,” the organization wrote on its Facebook page. “He consistently supported REALTOR® issues as a Texas state senator, and as a mayoral candidate, his policy priorities align with ABoR’s Public Policy Priorities – property rights, strategic land use, and business issues and practices.”
ABoR said in its release that it didn’t arrive at the decision lightly.
“We know that the viewpoints, beliefs and ideologies of our membership are as diverse as Austin,” it said. “This endorsement comes after following our formal candidate interviews and endorsement process designed to evaluate candidates based on their positions on REALTOR® issues and issues affecting the real estate industry and private property rights."
According to Austin Journal, Watson launched his campaign for his second stint as Austin mayor in February.
He was the state capital's chief executive officer from 1997 to 2001 before serving in the higher chamber of the Texas Legislature for more than a decade afterward, the publication reported.
Watson was the inaugural dean of the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs, a position he took after his time as a senator ended.
Watson’s opponents in the November race to succeed incumbent Mayor Steve Adler are State Rep. Celia Israel (D-Austin), real estate broker Jennifer Virden, fitness trainer Erica Nix and University of Texas at Austin (UT) government student Phil Brual.