AUSTIN, Texas — Incumbent Travis County District Attorney José Garza is looking to remain in his role, as he faces Republican Daniel Betts in Tuesday's general election.
The Democrat was first elected as Travis County DA in 2020, when he upset then-incumbent district attorney Margaret Moore in the Democratic primary. He subsequently went on to win the general election against Republican Martin Henry with nearly 70% of the vote.
Garza faced a challenge of his own this election cycle, defeating attorney Jeremy Sylestine in March's Democratic primary. The race gained outsized attention despite its local nature, after a September report from the Wall Street Journal stated that Austin-based billionaire businessman Elon Musk spent $650,000 to try and block Garza's reelection. Musk's "Saving Austin PAC" was also responsible for a flyer that featured a bloody teddy bear, claiming Garza was "filling the streets with pedophiles and killers." Garza wound up winning the primary with almost 67% of the vote.
Given Travis County's heavily Democratic lean, Garza is heavily favored going into his first reelection bid against Betts, a criminal defense attorney based in Austin. Betts won the nomination after running unopposed in the Republican primary.
