Live Blog: Austin voters decide Transportation Bond, Council races

By Audrey McGlinchy, Elizabeth Pagano & Andrew Weber

Austin voters in five of the city’s 10 districts have decided who will represent them on the city council. This includes districts 2, 4, 6, 7 and 10 – Southeast and most of North Austin. While the field was not nearly as crowded as the first 10-1 council race in 2014, voters did encounter some new faces. For a full list of candidates and where they stood on the big council issues, check out our series More Than A Yard Sign.

We’ll have updates of election totals as the results come in.

8:26 p.m. – Council Member told KUT’s Kate Groetzinger he’s “overjoyed” with the results so far, and said it’s “nearly impossible” to overcome the 58 percent gap between the two candidates.

8:14 p.m. – It seems incumbent Council Member Don Zimmerman is leaning towards concession in the race for District 6 against challenger Jimmy Flannigan.

“It looks to me like it’s probably over,” Zimmerman told KUT’s Kate Groetzinger at his election watch party.

7:18 p.m. – The early Travis County returns were posted for the City of Austin election give us a glimpse at how the $720 million transportation bond fared.

With 247,310 votes counted in the Proposition 1 race, those voting in favor were in the majority with 59.83 percent of the vote. 40.17 percent voted against.

Only 11,092 votes have been cast in District 2, where incumbent Delia Garza has a decisive lead with 66.57 percent of the vote. Casey Ramos has won 18.38 percent of votes cast, and Wesley Faulkner is currently in third with 15.05 percent. In District 4, incumbent Greg Casar has 64.64 percent of the 9,259 votes cast. Gonzalo Camacho has 20.01 percent and Louis C. Herrin, III has 15.35 percent at the moment. Challenger Jimmy Flannigan is in the lead in District 6, with 57.65 percent of the vote. Incumbent Don Zimmerman has 42.35 percent of the 21,755 votes cast.

In District 7, 24,136 votes had been cast, with incumbent Leslie Pool winning a clear majority of the vote. Pool currently has 73.09 percent of the vote Challenger Natalie Gauldin has 26.91 percent.

In the District 10 race, 30,212 votes had been cast. Sheri Gallo led early returns in a four-way race with 47.95 percent of the vote. Alison Alter garnered 36.78 percent. Rob Walker won 13.30 percent Nicholas Virden won 1.97 percent