Katie Kam is running for Austin City Council, District 9 — the historic heart of Austin. Civil engineer with a Ph.D. from UT. Fourth-generation Texan. Founder of BioBQ. Volunteer who collected 4,000+ signatures to stop the multi-billion-dollar convention center. No highway expansions.
“Keep Austin Musical, Memorable, Moving, Magical KAM.
No highway expansions.” 😊
A District 9 council member shapes housing, mobility, music, parks, public safety, and the city budget. Katie’s priorities translate the KAM slogan into a working agenda.
Defend Austin’s identity as the Live Music Capital of the World. Protect venues, fight noise-complaint creep from luxury infill, fund cultural preservation that actually reaches working musicians.
Stop turning Austin into Anywhere, USA. Honor neighborhood character, historic streetscapes, and the weird magic that made this city worth moving to in the first place.
Get Austin out of gridlock without bulldozing it. Safer streets, real mobility options, expanded infrastructure for low-speed electric vehicles — golf carts, e-trikes, micro-mobility. No highway expansions.
Fiscal responsibility with the city budget. Stop the multi-billion-dollar convention-center boondoggle. Spend like a city that loves itself, not one trying to impress a developer.
I have decided to run for Austin City Council (District 9, the historic heart of Austin 💚). Please check out my website to learn why, my platform, how to donate, and to check if you live in District 9.
Last summer/fall, when I personally collected over 4,000 signatures from Austin voters as a volunteer to stop the multi-billion-dollar convention center, it became very clear to me: residents want someone who cares about Austin’s culture, livability, and fiscal responsibility — and want to be included in determining the future of Austin. I found the experience energizing.
💚 I care deeply about my hometown and want to help guide Austin to a future that does not turn it into Anywhere, USA. Austin deserves to be the unique, creative, musical, environmentally sustainable, safe, memorable, and magical city it was destined to be. 💙
I filed March 9, 2026 and have been spending my time getting to know voter concerns and visions for a better Austin. I love being on the campaign trail. As someone who knows me well said: “it was really not a matter of if, it was a matter of when” I would decide to run.
The election is November 3, 2026 — early voting in October. Thank you.
— Katie
Before filing for office, Katie was already in the work — on the streets, at the Capitol, and at the lab bench.
Katie spent last summer and fall outside the existing convention center collecting signatures — one conversation at a time — to stop the city from spending billions on an expansion residents weren’t asking for.
That campaign — Ditch the New Convention Center — is what made the case for Katie running for Council herself.
Katherine Anne “Katie” Kam has lived in Austin since 1983. She holds four degrees from the University of Texas, ranging from a Ph.D. in civil engineering to a master’s in community and regional planning.
Her career has included academic research focused on transportation, work as a city engineer, and teaching in the Austin Independent School District. She is the founder and CEO of BioBQ, an Austin cultured-meat startup developing lab-grown barbecue brisket. She is a longtime vegan and a fourth-generation Texan.
In the early 2000s she co-founded the West Campus Parking Benefit District, which set up metered street parking that funds neighborhood improvements — an early example of the kind of practical, district-scale problem-solving she wants to bring to City Hall.
Katie’s combination of civic activism, scientific credentials, and Texas-rooted entrepreneurship has drawn coverage from state and local press.
A profile of Katie’s work as the founder and CEO of BioBQ, the Austin cultured-meat startup developing lab-grown barbecue brisket — and her testimony at the Capitol against Governor Abbott’s two-year ban on lab-grown meat sales.
All donation amounts are appreciated. You don’t have to live in Austin to donate (there’s a cap on non-Austin resident donations, but Katie is early in fundraising so it’s not an issue at the moment). Volunteers, signature-gatherers, yard-sign requests, and word-of-mouth ambassadors are equally welcome.
Any amount helps fund signs, postcards, and outreach in District 9.
katiekamforaustin.com → 🗣️Knock doors, gather signatures, host a meet-and-greet, table an event.
Sign up → 🏠Live in District 9 and want a sign? Request one from the campaign.
Request → ☑️Verify you’re registered in Travis County and check your district.
Travis County →Help keep Austin musical, memorable, moving, and magical. Donate, volunteer, or simply tell a District 9 neighbor.
katiekamforaustin.com →A few minutes with the candidate — in her own words.
Independent civic information about Austin politics since 2003 — current and past mayors, City Council, key issues, elections, and how to get involved beyond any single campaign.
Serving his second tenure as Mayor of Austin. Kirk Watson is a lawyer, former Texas State Senator, and two-time Mayor of Austin.
First served as mayor 1997–2001, earning recognition for his work on economic development and smart-growth initiatives. After serving in the Texas Senate from 2007 to 2020 and briefly as Dean of the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs, Watson returned to Austin politics.
Elected again in December 2022, Watson took office in January 2023 facing a city grappling with rapid growth, housing affordability challenges, and infrastructure needs. His administration has focused on homelessness solutions, public safety, and managing Austin’s continued expansion while preserving its character.
Austin operates under a council-manager form of government with 10 geographic districts plus a citywide mayor.
Austin switched to a 10-1 council system in 2014 after voters approved geographic representation. Previously, all council members were elected citywide. Now, 10 council members each represent a geographic district, and the mayor is elected citywide. The City Manager, appointed by the council, runs day-to-day city operations.
Council meetings are held on Thursdays at Austin City Hall (301 W. 2nd Street), typically at 10:00 AM. Meetings are open to the public and streamed live on ATXN, the city’s public access channel. Citizens can sign up to speak during public comment periods on agenda items.
Click any member for an information-rich profile — biography, education, neighborhoods, committee assignments, priorities, and contact information.
The major policy areas and challenges facing Austin’s city government and residents.
Austin’s rapid growth has driven housing costs to historic levels. Land use reform through CodeNEXT (later HOME) aims to increase density. Zoning reform, ADU expansion, and affordable housing bonds remain central.
Project Connect, approved by voters in 2020, is Austin’s $7.1 billion transit plan. The I-35 expansion through central Austin is one of the largest highway projects in Texas history.
Approach has been politically contentious. The 2021 passage of Proposition B reinstated the public camping ban. The HEAL initiative connects people with services and housing.
Major tech hub: Tesla’s Gigafactory, Samsung’s chip plant, Apple’s second-largest campus, thousands of startups. Managing growth and workforce development are ongoing priorities.
Central Texas is prone to drought. Austin’s water depends on the Highland Lakes system. Stage water restrictions and long-term planning are critical as the population grows.
Austin Police Department has faced staffing challenges, with officer counts well below authorized levels. Response times, training capacity, and accountability are active policy areas.
Austin’s identity as the “Live Music Capital of the World” faces pressure from rents, noise complaints, and venue closures. The city has the Music Venue Preservation Fund and a Music Officer.
A timeline of Austin mayors from the late 1970s to the present day.
Austin city government is most effective when residents participate. Here’s how to make your voice heard year-round.
Council meets Thursdays at Austin City Hall, 301 W. 2nd Street. Open to the public. Watch live on ATXN or attend in person. Agendas are posted in advance.
Citizens can sign up to speak at council meetings on agenda or non-agenda items. Speakers typically get three minutes. Sign up through the City Clerk’s office.
Austin has dozens of registered neighborhood associations. Find yours through the city’s Neighborhood Services.
Travis County voter registration is available through the Travis County Elections Office. Register at least 30 days before an election.
Austin frequently puts bond packages, charter amendments, and policy propositions on the ballot. Stay informed through official election pages and nonpartisan voter guides.
The city appoints residents to dozens of boards and commissions. Apply through the City Clerk.
How Austin’s elections work, from timing to term limits.
Austin holds city elections in November of odd-numbered years. The next mayoral election is in November 2026.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the general election, the top two vote-getters advance to a December runoff.
Austin’s mayor and council members are limited to two consecutive four-year terms. After sitting out, they may run again.
Austin city elections are officially nonpartisan. No party affiliations on the ballot, though candidates may be endorsed.
AustinMayor.com was first registered in 2003 and has been part of the web through multiple administrations. The Wayback Machine preserves snapshots of the site through the years.
About this site: AustinMayor.com is an independent civic website that has covered Austin politics since 2003. This page is an editorial endorsement and feature of the Katie Kam for Austin City Council District 9 campaign. It is not a campaign-authorized communication and is not paid for by Katie Kam for Austin or any political committee.
Other District 9 candidates as of this writing: incumbent Zohaib “Zo” Qadri, Rich Heyman, and Thadani. Voters are encouraged to research all candidates before voting.