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Redistricting commission releases first draft of new Austin City Council map. (City of Austin/Austin Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission)
The Austin Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission released a proposed map of a new city council district map heavily based on the existing map drawn in 2013.
After considering making sweeping changes to the configuration of the districts, the commission's proposed map makes only small alterations largely aimed at re-establishing numerical parity. The commission is responsible for establishing the geographical boundaries of Austin's city council districts, a once-every-ten-year process based on the release of U.S. Census data.
Under the map, Districts 6 and 7 would shrink by more than 10,000 people, while District 4 would gain more than 14,000 people and District 3 more than 9,000 people. District 9 would also gain substantially, adding more than 7,000 new residents.
Unlike some U.S. cities like Cleveland, Austin does not add or subtract city council districts based on population and will retain the 10 districts first established after the city voted to move to single-member, geographic districts in 2012 in an attempt to elevate the power of candidates and neighborhoods.
That means coming districts will be considerably larger than the current districts, a result of Austin's 21% increase in population over the last decade. The new U.S. Census data released in August found that the city is home to 961,855 people, meaning that the commission aimed to draw roughly 96,000-person districts.
With a draft plan now done, the commission will hold five public forums to gather feedback on the proposed map between Sept. 18 and Oct. 2, with four events held in person and one on Zoom. The first of those events will take place a week from Saturday at the Gus Garcia Recreation Center in northeast Austin.
The committee will incorporate that feedback into a final proposal that the ICRC is set to adopt on Sept. 15.
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(Bob Daemmrich)
After months of speculation, a new report says political personality Beto O'Rourke is mulling a run for Texas governor that he will announce later this year.
Sources tell Axios the former congressman is preparing his campaign for the 2022 election, where he will likely vie for the position against incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott. The only other candidate that has announced he will take on Abbott for governor is former Texas GOP Chairman Allen West—no Democrats have announced they are running as of yet.
"No decision has been made," Axios reports David Wysong, O'Rourke's former House chief of staff and a longtime adviser, said. "He has been making and receiving calls with people from all over the state."
A new poll from The Dallas Morning News and University of Texas at Tyler shows O'Rourke is narrowing the gap between himself and Abbott's prospects for governor. In the poll, 37% said they'd vote for O'Rourke over Abbott, while 42% said they'd vote for Abbott.
Abbott has been in the hot seat due to his handling of COVID-19 and the signing of landmark legislation into law, including new abortion and voting rights laws; 54% of poll respondents voted they think the state is headed in the "wrong direction." Still, Texas hasn't had a Democrat as governor since the 90s.
O'Rourke's people-focused approach to the 2018 Senator race, which he lost to Sen. Ted Cruz, gave him a widespread following and many hoped he'd throw his hat into the ring since he said he was considering it earlier this year.
"We hope that he's going to run," Gilberto Hinojosa, the state chair of the Democratic Party, told Axios. "We think he'll be our strongest candidate. We think he can beat Abbott because he's vulnerable."
Jordi is an Austin-based rapper who represented Texas at the 2021 Red Bull Batalla. (Esparza)
Austin rapper Jordi Esparza may not have won the 2021 Red Bull Batalla, the world's largest Spanish freestyle rap competition, but for a spirited two rounds, the 22-year old Mexican native looked like he had every right to.
On Saturday evening in Los Angeles, the event itself looked like Cobra Kai meets Star Search with graphics adding a very Batman Beyond aesthetic. Over a dozen rappers hoping to represent the U.S. in the international round of the competition took to the stage with in-your-face jabs at accents, sexual orientation and odors, among other things.
This was Esparza's second rodeo; he had placed third at the 2020 National Finals, automatically securing him a spot this year.
However, things were different this year. He was not nervous about the contest. Unlike in 2020, when he made his Red Bull Batalla debut, the anxiety of the event led him to "feeling so bad."
Affecting a casual calm, the locally-based landscaper said he just felt "so relaxed, so happy" and primarily wanted to "enjoy everything."
Choosing his first-round opponent, Esparza, whose stage name is Jordi, elected to go against LA-based Boss.
Esparza freestyled an attack on his opponent's weight and cholo style of dress.
Boss—bracketing his Latin freestyle with English appeals to the crowd—mocked Jordi's lack of education, made fun of how clean Jordi's shoes looked and suggested that Jordi just came back from a Footlocker.
That first round went to Jordi.
But his next opponent Eckonn would prove to be his undoing.
Eckonn compared Jordi to Hannah Montana, while Jordi soulfully explained that he had learned from the best.
Esparza's verbal dexterity is matched by a rattling rhythm and a game face that is as mawkish as it is mockish. The overall effect is that of an underdog with bite.
Eckonn beat Esparza in that round with the overall championship going to Palm Beach-based rapper Reverse.
However, Esparza was just happy to be there. He recently told Austonia going to the finals again was a dream come true—a pinnacle that he said he won't know how to top.
With his nimble jabs and sneaky prowess, honed from pop culture and the swagger of a young working man hungry to be more, Jordi Esparza is just getting started.
