AUSTIN, Texas — Another candidate has entered the race to be Austin’s next mayor. 

What You Need To Know

  • Carmen Llanes Pulido, who is the executive director for Go! Austin/Vamos! Austin (GAVA), announced she is running for mayor on Facebook Tuesday

  • Llanes Pulido said in the post that she is running to “bring humanity” to the city’s government

  • Llanes Pulido joins Kathie Tovo, a former Austin City Council member, in the race, while incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson has yet to announce whether he is running for reelection

Carmen Llanes Pulido, who is the executive director for Go! Austin/Vamos! Austin (GAVA), announced she is running for mayor on Facebook Tuesday. 

Llanes Pulido said in the post that she is running to “bring humanity” to the city’s government. 

“I've put aside fear and doubt and grabbed onto love and collective courage. I'm running for Mayor of Austin, Texas, the city that raised me,” the post said. “I'm running to defend people's interests, not special interest. I'm running to back up the champions for public service, to stop the baiting and switching of taxpayers, and to bring humanity into our Municipal government.”

Llanes Pulido has previously worked on a couple of city commissions, including the Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Commission, Planning Commission and Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. 

In her announcement post, she said her campaign will be completely “people-powered” with no special interest PAC money. 

“As long as I can remember, our city elections have been heavily swayed by the most moneyed interests, and the promises of upward-climbing party politics to the top,” she wrote. “And yet, in the same city, people are so scrappy and caring and intelligent and full of passion that we find clever ways to beat the odds and do the right thing.”

Llanes Pulido joins Kathie Tovo, a former Austin City Council member, in the race, while incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson has yet to announce whether he is running for reelection.