Austin City Council Member Paige Ellis has officially submitted a petition to pursue a third term for her District 8 seat. If her petition is approved, she will join the race as the third candidate vying for the position. While it is not common for council members to seek a third term, the city’s regulations allow for this if she can demonstrate support from her constituents.
According to the Austin city charter, a council member must obtain the backing of 5% of eligible voters in their district to run for an additional term. Ellis represents a district that encompasses parts of South and Southwest Austin, and city officials have confirmed that she requires signatures from 3,044 qualified voters based on the 60,887 verified voters as of January. Recently, she submitted over 3,400 signatures to the Austin city clerk.
Ellis expressed her motivation for seeking another term, stating, “There are still a lot of big projects happening in the district, like the MoPac South expansion, and some work we are trying to do to help Austin Community College with their campus in the district. And so, it didn’t feel like the right time to step away.” Living in the district for 15 years, she believes her accumulated knowledge could be advantageous for an additional four years in office.
However, the two candidates competing against Ellis for the District 8 seat argue it is time for fresh perspectives. Jeff Bowen, a nearly 40-year resident of the district, hopes to take her place. “You have people that have a tendency that want to make politics a career, and it really shouldn’t be about a career,” Bowen remarked. “It should be about going in and doing what you believe is the people’s work, and then moving on after a certain amount of time.”
Selena Xie, who has been a resident of the district for two years, is also in the running. She stated, “I think we need to have more types of perspectives on city council and having somebody serve more than eight years, which is what city of Austin residents agreed to, for no real discernable reason… is very disturbing to me.” Both Bowen and Xie argue that Ellis has already had ample time to complete her projects.
Ellis is not the first city council member to seek an extra term; former council member Kathie Tovo achieved this goal in 2018. Tovo successfully petitioned for a third term, emphasizing the advantages of extended service in pushing through important projects, such as fostering collaboration between the city and the Austin Independent School District. She noted that the process of learning to craft and implement policy involves a steep learning curve, which necessitates time for impactful change.
In Tovo’s words, “In my opinion, in my case, I was a much stronger policy maker when I left than I was when I started. And so it felt like I could really bring value in that third term.” Joshua Blank, research director for the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, acknowledged the benefits of longer tenures, including the development of expertise in complex areas. However, he also pointed out that term limits are designed to encourage new ideas and representation.
“[Term limits] allows for new ideas, new representation,” Blank stated. “But there’s also a negative argument, which is that it keeps a legislative body, of any kind, or from individuals, maybe collecting too much power from being in office for too long.” He cautioned that this election cycle might be challenging for incumbents, as voters nationwide, including those in Texas, have expressed dissatisfaction with the status quo and are open to supporting new candidates.
If Ellis’s petition receives validation, she will stand as the third candidate in the District 8 race. Election Day is set for November 3.
