Austin City Council Member Zo Qadri has successfully secured a second term representing District 9, according to the final unofficial voting totals from Travis County. In a competitive race featuring four challengers, Qadri garnered 51.38% of the votes, outpacing his nearest competitor, Rich Heyman, who received 24.74%. The other candidates, Katie Kam, Kai Huang, and Dave Thadani, received 17.5%, 4.48%, and 1.9% of the votes, respectively.
Qadri’s victory allows him to continue serving a significant portion of Central Austin, which includes downtown, the University of Texas, and the Texas Capitol. His new four-year term will commence in January.
In a statement following the election, Qadri expressed gratitude for the support he received, emphasizing his commitment to serving all constituents. “We’ve taken on powerful interests, stood up for renters and working families, and made real progress toward a more affordable Austin. This was a close election, and I don’t take a single vote for granted. Whether you voted for me or not, I’m going to keep fighting to make City Hall work for you,” he stated.
Throughout the campaign, several candidates highlighted the critical issue of affordability, proposing various measures to address the rising costs of rent and housing in Central Austin. In discussions with KUT News, all but one of the candidates also raised concerns regarding public safety, homelessness, and city transit initiatives.
Drawing on his experience from his first term, Qadri expressed pride in his achievements, particularly with initiatives like HOME, which facilitates denser construction on single-family lots. However, he acknowledged that further work is necessary, particularly regarding housing and parking reforms. “We have a land development code that hasn’t been fully updated since 1984, so we need to continue to work on housing and parking reforms,” he remarked.
In total, five city council seats were contested in this election. Qadri’s re-election makes him one of only two candidates to secure a seat for the upcoming year, alongside Selena Xie, who will represent District 8. Meanwhile, the races for Austin City Council Districts 1, 3, and 5 will advance to a runoff election scheduled for December 12.
It is important to note that the results remain unofficial until a canvass is completed in the days following the election, ensuring the accuracy of the vote tallies.
