Summary
Austin is having a primary runoff and special election on July 14th. Learn about the County Attorney's race with our easy-to-read guide.
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In 2019, 25 percent of the inmates booked in our county jail were Black. That’s despite the fact that Austin’s Black population is only about 8 percent.
It’s this kind of racial disparity in our criminal justice system that’s at the core of the race for our next County Attorney. Both candidates in the Democratic primary runoff are running on reform platforms and have a long list of ideas for making our system more equitable.
You can check out our guide below for more information about the candidates running, who’s supporting them, and what the heck a County Attorney even does.
PS – One thing to remember – This guide covers the Democratic primary runoff election (which happens on July 14th). However, since there is no Republican challenger, whoever wins this primary runoff will likely become our next County Attorney.
The County Attorney's Race: A Deeper Dive
Although you may never have heard of the County Attorney before, it’s a very important job. The County Attorney is responsible for prosecuting misdemeanors (smaller crimes) in Travis County, which means they can have a big impact over who goes to jail or faces criminal charges (and for what.)
The County Attorney also is responsible for advising the county in legal matters, which in a town that’s constantly in legal battles with our state lawmakers, is a pretty big deal.
You can learn more about Laurie Eiserloh’s life on her website.
You can learn more about Delia Garza’s life on her website.
You can explore Laurie Eiserloh’s website here and her Facebook page here.
You can explore Delia Garza’s Facebook page here.
Laurie has laid out a 13-point plan for criminal justice reform on her website, which can read here.
Delia dives deeper into her platform and policy proposals on her website, which you can read here.
This list is only a small snapshot of the candidates’ supporters. You can look through all of Delia’s supporters here and all of Laurie’s supporters here.
The Austin Chronicle issued a dual endorsement of both Delia Garza and Laurie Eiserloh for this election. You can read their reasoning behind this decision here.
Basic Election Details...
Election Day is July 14th
Early voting is from June 29th to July 10th (except for July 3rd & 4th)
To learn more about the other races on this year’s ballot, you can explore our full election guide here.
Information about polling locations in Travis County can be found here.
For a side-by-side look at all the candidates running, be sure to check out the nonpartisan League of Women Voters Guide