Who wants to run for District 2?

When the committee formed to support Mayor Pro Tem/District 2 Council Member Delia Garza in her run for Travis County attorney, political people started wondering: If Garza wins the Democratic primary next March and therefore gives up her spot on the ballot as a Council candidate, who will be ready to run for her seat in November? So far, the Austin Monitor has discussed the question with David Chincanchan, who is chief of staff for District 3 Council Member Pio Renteria, and Ana Aguirre, a member of the city’s Zoning and Platting Commission. Aguirre told the Monitor, “For the record, I’m not running. Like a lot of people, I care about District 2,” but she’s not running. Chincanchan, on the other hand, expressed interest in the job. He said, “There are a bunch of folks encouraging me to run, but (Garza) hasn’t really made an official decision herself and so I’m supporting her for the county attorney race – and of course if she were to run for District 2 again, I would support her as well.” He said Garza had discussed the Council race with him “a while back, and I’ve been thinking about it.” He pointed out that he grew up in the Dove Springs neighborhood and currently lives there. Dove Springs has faced a number of problems, including flooding and a lack of facilities, and Garza has championed new projects in the neighborhood. No doubt, others are thinking about running for this Council seat. They just haven’t whispered loudly enough for us to hear them.