| Election Name: | 2024 Austin mayoral election |
| Flag Image: | Flag of Austin, Texas.svg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2022 Austin mayoral election |
| Previous Year: | 2022 |
| Next Election: | 2028 Austin mayoral election |
| Next Year: | 2028 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 2024 |
| Image1: | Watson Groundbreaking 5.3.23 (cropped).jpg |
| Candidate1: | Kirk Watson |
| Colour1: | c0c0c0 |
| Popular Vote1: | 175,096 |
| Percentage1: | 50.0041% |
| Image Size2: | 150x150px |
| Candidate2: | Carmen Llanes Pulido |
| Colour2: | c0c0c0 |
| Popular Vote2: | 70,540 |
| Percentage2: | 20.14% |
| Image4: | Kathie Tovo.png |
| Candidate4: | Kathie Tovo |
| Colour4: | c0c0c0 |
| Popular Vote4: | 58,280 |
| Percentage4: | 16.64% |
| Image5: | 3x4.svg |
| Image Size5: | 150x150px |
| Candidate5: | Jeffrey Bowen |
| Colour5: | c0c0c0 |
| Popular Vote5: | 29,383 |
| Percentage5: | 8.39% |
| Mayor | |
| Before Election: | Kirk Watson |
| After Election: | Kirk Watson |
The 2024 Austin mayoral election was held on November 5, 2024, to elect the next mayor of Austin, Texas.[1] The election was nonpartisan; the candidates' party affiliations affiliations did not appear on the ballot. Incumbent mayor Kirk Watson was running for re-election, after returning to the position of mayor following the 2022 election.[2] On November 15, over a week after election day, Watson was declared the apparent winner of the race after securing 50.0041% of the vote. In the final tally, Watson was a mere 13 votes over the cutoff to avoid a runoff with Carmen Llanes Pulido.
Due to the passage of Prop D in 2021, this is the first Austin mayoral election to coincide with a presidential election.[3]
Following election day, unofficial results from Travis, Williamson and Hays County, with 100% of the precincts reporting, showed incumbent mayor Kirk Watson with 50.01% of the vote and 31 raw votes over the 50% plus one threshold to avoid a runoff with Pulido.[9] At the time, there remained some outstanding ballots yet to be processed, including overseas and military ballots, provisional ballots, and mail-in ballots received the day after election day. On November 13, over a week after election day, the election had still not been called, with an estimated 3,200 provisional ballots yet to be reviewed.[10] [11]
On November 15, KXAN declared Watson the apparent winner of the race after the uncertified final tally showed him with 50.0041% of the vote and 14 raw votes over the threshold to avoid a runoff. Subsequently, Watson declared victory in the race, while Pulido refused to concede saying the race remained too close to call. Travis County and Williamson County did a canvas on November 15 and November 19, respectively, while Hays County's results were official by November 15. On November 18, a final batch of 20 provisional ballots were added from Travis County, with Watson 13 votes above the threshold.[12] The deadline, according to the Texas Secretary of State, for the posts to be finalized was November 19.[13] [14]
On November 21, Pulido requested a recount of 11 specific precincts in Williamson County, but her request was refused because state law demands the recount to be of the entire jurisdiction rather than select parts.[15] On November 22, Pulido conceded the race and said she would not be pursuing a recount or any further actions.[16]