AUSTIN, Texas — The residents of Austin’s District 4 have chosen Jose “Chito” Vela as their new representative.
The City of Austin held a special election on Tuesday, Jan. 25, to choose a new Austin City Council member for District 4. The most recent District 4 council member, Greg Casar, is running for Congress.
Participation in the election was limited to registered voters in District 4, which covers parts of Central and East Austin. A little over 10% of constituents voted in the special election.
In the special election, seven candidates vied to replace Casar as District 4’s representative. Vela won the race with 59.2% of the vote. Monica Guzmán came in second with 13.7% of the vote and Jade Lovera came in third with 11.1%.
"In talking to folks in the different neighborhoods, they have identified problems, issues, smaller issues throughout the district, whether it be, you know, a traffic concern at an intersection or whether it be crime in a certain area," Vela said. "Those are the issues that I really want to get to right away."
Vela, an Austin immigration and criminal defense attorney, announced his candidacy for the District 4 special election just days after Casar announced he was running for Congress. Vela said at his campaign announcement event that his No. 1 priority on city council would be to "make sure that Austin is a welcoming city for working-class people, not a playground for the wealthy."
"Our city needs champions that are going to stand up for working families, hold big corporate interests accountable, address issues like housing affordability and public safety, and that's the kind of council member that Chito is going to be," Casar said after Vela claimed victory.
Vela has experience working in the Texas Attorney General's Office and as general counsel to a Texas state representative. He has served on the City of Austin Planning Commission and as board chair for the Workers Defense Project. In 2018, he ran for Texas House District 46.
Casar, who endorsed Vela for the District 4 seat, released a statement in response to Vela's win.
“Together, we’ve created a bold, progressive agenda for the city of Austin, and I’m eager to see our new District 4 City Council Member, Chito Vela, continue that work with our community,” said Casar. “Despite constant fear-mongering and smear campaigns from far-right wing special interests, District 4 voters elected a progressive champion tonight. We’ve proven that progressive policies are popular, and I’m looking forward to working with Chito to deliver for working families.”
Councilmember Natasha Harper-Madison also released a statement to KVUE regarding Vela's win.
“Congrats to all the candidates for engaging voters on the issues that matter to Austinites. I’m excited for Chito to join us on the dais as Council continues to seek progressive policies to build more housing, expand economic opportunities, and create safer, more sustainable mobility options," she said.
Councilmember Sabino Renteria congratulated Vela on the win.
"I want to congratulate Chito Vela, having an affordable housing advocate on the council is going to be a big plus on meeting our affordable housing goal."
Councilmember Kathie Tovo said she looked forward to welcoming Vela on the council.
"I appreciate all of the candidates who ran for this seat and their willingness to serve the community – their participation in the race helped shape and inform the dialogue about how we should move forward on some of our city’s most pressing questions. I look forward to welcoming my new colleague Chito Vela to the dais and to working together to address the important issues facing our city in collaborative, community-driven ways."
To learn more about Vela, visit his campaign website.
Before Vela can be sworn in, the city council must canvass the votes. The earliest that can happen is Feb. 4. Then the city will schedule a ceremony to officially swear Vela into office.
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