AUSTIN, Texas — Leslie Pool has won the Austin City Council District 7 seat in the November general election, defeating opponent Morgan Witt.
Both Pool and Witt participated in a virtual forum on institutional racism in October. The candidates gave their stances on policing, gentrification, the COVID-19 relief fund, development of the Austin Equity Office, funding for Austin Public Health and access to low-income housing.
WATCH THE FORUM BELOW (Forum was scheduled to start at 5 p.m., but begins nearly 30:00 into the stream):
According to her website, Pool, the incumbent, has been a key part of the City's climate protection strategies. Last November, she sponsored both a resolution to identify financing to fund the construction of two new rail stations on Austin's Red Line in District 7 and the authorization of the public-private Red Line Parkway Trail partnership. She has also worked on numerous "open government" initiatives.
"This has been quite the year for all candidates running for office," Pool wrote on Facebook Tuesday night. "I am gratified to have received such strong support for my work on Council from my District 7 neighbors. Many challenges remain, and I look forward to continuing to represent District 7 and residents across our beloved city. My thanks to my campaign team for the big win and to my City Hall staff for making sure the D7 train always runs on time."
Pool will continue to serve another term as the city councilmember for District 7 after first being elected to the position in 2014.
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