The hotly contested Place 3 Austin City Council seat, replacing Councilwoman Jackie Goodman, remains open until June 11, when candidates Margot Clarke and Jennifer Kim face a run-off election. The two finished ahead of two other candidates in what proved to be the most competitive race in Saturday's election.
Clarke led the race with 40 percent of the vote, and Kim secured 27 percent. Place 3 candidates Gregg Knaupe and Mandy Dealey split the rest of the votes with 21 percent and 11 percent, respectively. All four candidates competitively raised contributions as early as November and came into the election with a wide range of experience.
"I had a very strong campaign team and a whole field of volunteers ready," Clarke said. She said she honed her skills as a council candidate from the last city election, where she lost in a run-off against Councilman Brewster McCracken.
Clarke said she looked forward to next month's run-off against Kim, whose campaign she thought was strong, but felt confident about her own experience over Kim's.
Clarke worked with Planned Parenthood and the Sierra Club. She has been endorsed by environmental organizations, neighborhood groups and the Austin Toll Party. Clarke said, if elected, she will focus mainly on transportation issues and restoring health and human services from previous budget cuts.
"We're going to continue to reach out to the voters," Clarke said.
Small-business owner Kim, who placed behind Clarke by a 13 percent margin, said she will work hard for the next 30 days until the run-off. If elected, she said she would keep Austin affordable, provide efficient transportation and promote a vibrant economy.
"We still have a lot of work ahead of us," Kim said.
Kim worked as a legislative aide for state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, and for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Kim received support from the Austin Professional Firefighters Association and democratic civic groups, as well as earning the endorsement of the Austin American-Statesman. She was the only candidate to invest in a television advertisement.
Kim said she was excited about the run-off. She said she appreciated her support from UT students and faculty and hoped they would continue that support June 11.
"It's been an incredible experience meeting people who love Austin as much as I do," she said.
Knaupe, a former attorney and president of the Texas Hospital Association, had won the endorsements of the police association and promoted regional health initiatives such as an academic medical center in Austin.
Dealey, a mental health care and cultural arts advocate, received endorsements from UT student democratic groups and women voter organizations. She focused on issues of the homeless, the cost of living in Austin and the environment.
Both Knaupe and Dealey were unavailable for comment Saturday and Sunday.
The voter registration deadline for early run-off voting ends May 12. Early voting for the run-off election will run from May 25 to June 7. Polling locations will be released as the election nears closer, according to the Travis County Elections Division.
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