Austin City Councilman Casar Considers Congressional Seat Run

AUSTIN, TX — Progressive Austin city councilman Greg Casar is exploring a run at the 35th District Congressional seat a day after fellow Democrat Lloyd Doggett announced he will be running for a seat in Austin’s new 37th District.

Casar, who has served on the Austin City Council since 2015, said that he will take the take the same approach to a campaign left open by Doggett as he did when he did when he sought a seat on the Austin City Council. Casar announced the formation of his exploratory committee on social media Tuesday morning.

“We can win better jobs, a clean planet, and an end to the Republicans’ discriminatory laws," said in a statement. "We can make the world a better place if we fight for it. If we organize for it. That’s why I’m considering running for Congress — to fight for working class and everyday Texan.”

Casar’s announcement comes after Texas Republicans approved redrawn U.S. House maps that favor incumbents and decrease political representation for growing minority communities, the Associated Press reported.

Under the redistricting plan, the 35th District will now include the East half of Austin to San Antonio. The district will also include a growing number of suburban areas along I-35, but according to the AP, the new Republican plan cuts the number of eligible Hispanic voters down by 5 percent.

“Texas deserves leadership that puts working families front and center. That is why I am pleased to support Greg Casar as he launches his exploratory committee for Congress,” San Antonio City Council Member Teri Castillo said in a news release. “His commitment to organizing local leaders from Austin to San Antonio, and everywhere in between, helps uplift all of us. And his tirelessness in fighting for working families has demonstrated that he would be the champion Texas deserves.”

In an interview with The Texas Observer, Casar said that he is a “natural fit” for the district, which State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez announced on Tuesday that he will also possibly attempt to capture in 2022.

Since serving on the City Council, Casar has successfully pushed for paid sick days in Austin, San Antonio and Dallas, ending loopholes for luxury property owners, ending all marijuana tickets and arrests by Austin Police and a $15 minimum wage, according to his campaign.

“The communities I’ve been organizing in have been in East Austin and San Marcos and San Antonio,” Casar told the Texas Observer. “So those are the neighborhoods and the parts of the state where I feel like I’ve built the most relationships and done the most organizing work. So that’s really what I’m looking at.”

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