The Politics Of Austin, Texas

Although the state of Texas is known for being a conservative state, its capital city is far different. In fact, the city of Austin is so well known for its Democratic leanings that it has become a stronghold for the Democratic Party. Yet, interestingly, the city's suburbs tend to vote Republican. In fact, the city is so well known for its liberal politics that conservative residents from other parts of the state routinely refer to the capital city as "The People's Republic of Austin."

As a city with Democratic leanings, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to learn that there has been an ongoing conflict between environmentalists and those who are advocating for urban growth. As such, the city has continued to struggle with finding ways to deal with its ever-increasing population while minimizing the environmental impact of its residents and its industries. Although the city council has tried to resolve the controversy by advocating for smart growth, the controversy surrounding environmental protection has continued to be one of the most divisive issues in the capital city.

In a demonstration of its liberal leanings, the city of Austin adopted a resolution in 2003 against the USA PATRIOT Act. In the following year, Senator John Kerry won the Travis County vote by a large majority and, today, three of Austin's six state legislative districts are Democratic and the other three are swing districts that are held by Democrats. Furthermore, Travis County was the only county in the state to reject Texas Constitutional Amendment Proposition2, which was essentially designed to outlaw gay marriage. Reportedly, 60% of Travis County residents were against the amendment.

While Austin is largely known for its Democratic leanings, the city is also an active area for the Libertarian Party. While the Libertarian Party continues to maintain a third party status, the party does occasionally obtain a substantial number of votes. In fact, Michale Badnarik, who was a Libertarian presidential candidate in 2004, hails from Austin. Green Party 2004 presidential candidate, David Cobb, also lived in Austin. As a result, the University of Texas student union hosted a presidential debate that included both minor party candidates. The city also hosted one of the last presidential debates between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in 2008.

The bottom line is that Austin's residents tend to be very politically active. While the city does not tend to lean in the same political direction as the rest of the state, it still serves as a leader for the state as well as for the country in terms of jobs, eco-friendly innovations and technological growth.

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