AUSTIN, Texas — In Central Texas, democracy is still at work with early voting happening for several runoff elections. Early voting is underway until Dec. 10, with Election Day on Dec. 14.
One of the big races voters will decide this election is in Austin City Council District 7, which covers parts of North and Central Austin. Voters have two candidates to choose from: Mike Siegel and Gary Bledsoe.
Siegel is a former Austin city attorney and co-founder of the nonprofit Ground Game Texas.
"I've actually sued Gov. Abbott before. I have defeated Ken Paxton in court," Siegel said. "As someone who's been a strong organizer in the community, someone who's represented our city in court, who's fought important battles, I think people need a fighter."
Bledsoe is a civil rights attorney and president of the Texas NAACP.
"One thing that I think I can be that is important that is really needed is a watchdog," Bledsoe said.
Chris LeBlanc is a constituent of District 7 who is still trying to decide who to vote for.
"Over the last 10 years, we've had multiple issues here. The homeless issue exploded, trying to redo the zoning and then again infrastructure for traffic and streets. So staying on top of that and knowing who's running and where they stand is important so that you can have a say," LeBlanc said.
Both candidates say they are focused on housing affordability, public transportation, public safety and addressing climate change.
"Whether it's to protect your housing, to make sure you're safe in your community, to care for the environment, our city government has a lot of leverage, a lot of power. And so, your vote really matters," Siegel said.
Bledsoe is also hoping for a sizable turnout.
"The larger the turnout, the better off we are," Bledsoe said.