Adler launches re-election campaign

On Sunday, Mayor Steve Adler officially launched his bid for re-election at Saengerrunde Hall. Adler announced his campaign to a full house that he said he didn’t anticipate, after introductions by Julian Castro, state Rep. Celia Israel, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, state Sen. Kirk Watson and Planned Parenthood’s Robbie Ausley – who were joined by a number of elected officials including sitting Council members Ann Kitchen, Jimmy Flannigan and Pio Renteria. “It means a lot to me that we have all gathered here today,” said Adler, who explained what he called the Austin Paradox: “We must fiercely, seriously and unabashedly continue to move forward. And part of that requires us to actively preserve what we love about this city,” he said. “Austin is a magical place.” In his speech, Adler said he would continue to fight “political threats” from state and federal governments, which he said are as serious as the issues of affordability and mobility in Austin. In addition to touting the accomplishments of the past year, he also looked toward the future. Adler said that Austinites could work together, and listen to each other, to get a new Land Development Code. He also vowed to expand the Austin Convention Center and said he would work to find solutions for homelessness and poverty and ways to boost the music industry and aid historic preservation. “The old paradigm in this city of who is against who, and who is on the opposite side, is an old way of doing things in this city,” he said. “And we can choose to move forward.”