I am a lifelong Democrat who has spent the past seven years fighting successfully for progressive policies on the Austin City Council.

Prior to my service on the Austin City Council, I was a member of the South Austin Democrats and volunteered in limited ways on several City Council races. I have since been a member of several Democratic clubs, including Black Austin Democrats.

Running for public office was not a decision I made easily. It was ultimately something I came to only after hearing from people who urged me to run and after spending a lot of time thinking about the types of progressive positions that I wanted to see reflected on our City Council. Crucially, I also recognized that I brought with me more than a decade of experience as an active advocate on community issues.

Every Council Member has a learning curve, but my extensive background in community advocacy and policymaking prior to taking office provided a strong foundation which I used to hit the ground running. I had experience working on complicated policy issues and building coalitions by serving in my neighborhood association and on boards and task forces such as the Planning Commission, the City of Austin CreateAustin Task Force and the Families and Children Task Force, and AISD’s Community Committee on Neighborhoods and Schools and the 2010-11 Facilities Master Plan Committee.

Today, I bring not only that experience, but the experience of my time as a Council Member fighting for progressive issues such as fair chance hiring, paid sick leave, the Sobering Center, protections against harassment and discrimination, mobility and mass transit, increasing our renewable energy resources, and more. I believe that my depth of experience, along with my values and my proven track record, positions me well to continue to be an effective progressive on the City Council.