Austin City Council member Greg Casar to run again for District 4

AUSTIN, Texas - Greg Casar has decided to run again for his seat on the Austin City Council, forgoing a run for a State Senate seat.

Casar announced his candidacy for District 4 Monday, stating that he has decided not to run for State Sen. Kirk Watson's seat. Watson resigned from the Senate in February after he was named founding dean of the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston.

RELATED: Senator Kirk Watson steps down, taking over as dean at University of Houston

Casar said in a statement that he came to the decision "after rigorous conversations with family, friends and colleagues."

"We have the responsibility to save lives as top state leadership fails us and there is unfinished business before us," the statement reads. "This is the work I feel most called to do in this time of crisis. It is where I know I can do the most good."

RELATED: FOX 7 Discussion: State Sen. Kirk Watson resigns

Casar thanked his friends and supporters for encouraging him to run for Watson's seat. "It means the world to me to have so much support. We have a lot of work ahead of us in 2020 and beyond, so let’s get to work.”

RELATED: Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt resigns to run for State Senate

READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:

“We live in a time of great uncertainty. We are in the midst of a global pandemic, we face the looming threat of an economic recession, and there are federal elections that will determine the fate of our nation for generations to come. Locally, we are protecting families and saving lives from COVID-19. We are holding corporate landlords accountable so that people don’t lose their homes, and we are focused on public health, not on public perception, during this pandemic. 

In addition to protecting Austin from the pandemic, our City has major unfinished business. The housing crisis must be addressed. Progressives must be at the forefront of the economic recovery from COVID, and we must put in place a once-in-a-lifetime transit plan that addresses transportation, climate change, and green jobs in a massive way. All of these things deserve my full attention for the time being, because we have to get this right.

After rigorous conversations with family, friends, and colleagues, I’ve decided not to run for SD14. Simply put: I love my job as Council Member. We have the responsibility to save lives as top state leadership fails us and there is unfinished business before us. This is the work I feel most called to do in this time of crisis. It is where I know I can do the most good.

A personal note to my friends and supporters: Thank you for all the overwhelming encouragement to run for higher office you’ve given me over the last couple of months. It means the world to me to have so much support. We have a lot of work ahead of us in 2020 and beyond, so let’s get to work.”