AUSTIN, Texas -- Austin Mayor Steve Adler's re-election campaign is officially underway.

Flanked by fellow Democrats such as State Sen. Kirk Watson and former HUD Secretary Julian Castro, Adler made the announcement Sunday in downtown Austin.

He reflected on his previous term, where he served as the first mayor under the new 10-ONE council system.

"I think it's been incredibly successful in bringing lots of voices to the table.  A lot of cities that go to district representation fail.  They devolve into a ward politics situation.  We haven't done that,” said Adler.

Adler said one of the main issues he is focusing on in his 2018 campaign is pro-actively managing and planning for growth.