Early voting results released by Travis County show a decisive night for Austin Independent School District (AISD) trustees. Incumbent Candace Hunter was re‑elected in District 1, and three newcomers—Jessica Neufeld (District 4), Sarah Dille (District 6) and Laurie Solis (District 7)—won their respective seats.
District results
District 1: Hunter captured 58.37% of the early vote (11,034 votes) against challenger Cheryl Bradley, who earned 41.63% (7,868 votes). Hunter was the only trustee seeking re‑election, guaranteeing at least four new members on the board.
District 4: Jessica Neufeld led with 59.11% (17,829 votes). Edward Bradfield received 13.05% (3,936 votes) and Tricia Mitchell Kim earned 27.84% (8,398 votes).
District 6: Sarah Dille secured a clear majority with 60.45% (14,736 votes). Marie Lebron and Alex San Martin each garnered roughly 20% of the vote—19.70% (4,802 votes) and 19.85% (4,839 votes) respectively.
District 7: Laurie Solis won 59.63% (16,777 votes) while Jimmy Counihan received 40.37% (11,357 votes).
At‑large Position 9
The at‑large seat did not produce a majority winner. Kirk Becker trailed far behind with 13.03% (21,611 votes). The top two vote‑getters, Pamela Mathai and Cynthia Soliz, were separated by a razor‑thin margin—Mathai held 44.63% (74,038 votes) and Soliz 42.34% (70,245 votes). Because no candidate surpassed the 50% threshold, a runoff is scheduled for December 12, as set by the Texas Secretary of State.
Implications for the district
The newly elected trustees will join the board at a critical moment. AISD faces potential state intervention after Burnet and Webb middle schools each received a fifth consecutive failing rating from the Texas Education Agency in August. Under state law, the education commissioner may be required to close the campuses or replace the elected board.
With four new members, the board’s composition could shift how it addresses these challenges, though the exact authority of incoming trustees will be limited until the board is fully seated.
Next steps
All results remain unofficial until canvassed. The runoff for the at‑large seat will be decided on December 12, and the final composition of the board will be confirmed after the November 3 results are officially canvassed.
Voters can follow ongoing updates and view complete results for all local races at Community Impact’s voter guide.
Original reporting: Community Impact — Austin — read the source article.
