Former Democratic Texas State Sen. Kirk Watson is running for another stint as Austin mayor.
Watson – who 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 – took to Twitter to declare his candidacy.
“It’s official, I’m running to be the next Austin mayor!” Watson said in a tweet. “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 joins a field that includes State Rep. Celia Israel (D-Austin), Austin City Councilwoman Kathie Tovo and real estate broker Jennifer Virden, according to FOX7.
Tovo, however, hasn’t formerly announced her candidacy though public records show that she filed for a campaign treasurer appointment.
The winner of the November contest will succeed incumbent Mayor Steve Adler, who’s term-limited. Election Day is Nov. 8.
The Texas Tribune reported issues that concern Watson, who retired from the Texas Senate in 2020, include rising cost of living, homelessness, public safety and transportation.
According to the publication, he’s a household name in Austin political circles.
During his first go-around as mayor, his campaign website said Watson created Austin’s first Office of the Police Monitor.
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.
In 2002, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for Texas Attorney General against future Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican.
The winner of the 2022 Austin mayoral election will serve just a two-year term as the city seeks to match the contest with presidential races as a way to boost voter turnout, The Texas Tribune reported.
