Austin city mayor runner-up calls for vote recount

AUSTIN, Texas - The runner-up in the race for Austin City Mayor, Carmen Llanes-Pulido, filed a request for a recount on Thursday. 

However, the request to recount the November 5 election results was denied. 

On Tuesday, the city of Austin officially declared that incumbent Kirk Watson gets to keep his seat downtown at City Hall after he won the reelection to serve his fourth term in office as mayor. 

However, one of his challengers does not accept defeat. 

"Anybody has a right to ask for a recount if that's what they want to do, but when the votes are in, the votes are in," said Kirk Watson. 

Llanes-Pulido called for the recount on Thursday after she received the final results from the November election. 

"I think it's really important that we ensure that every vote is counted in this election," said Carmen Llanes-Pulido. "We know that every vote counts because the margin is razor-thin. We're talking about a difference of 12 or 13 votes here preventing a runoff election." 

She specifically asked for votes to be recounted at precincts in Travis and Williamson Counties. 

"The recount request is defective. Texas law is clear that, in an election that is called by a city--which the mayor's election is--a recount must be for the entire jurisdiction and not just cherry-picking a few precincts," said Mayor Watson in a statement on Thursday.

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"The city has replied, saying ‘the petition is defective and has cited particular sections of the Texas Election Code’, alleging that the request needs to be for all polling places or precincts within the city of Austin," said Llanes-Pulido. 

According to the canvassed votes, Mayor Watson secured his reelection with a total of 175,096 votes and his challenger Llanes-Pulido got 70,540. Ultimately, giving Watson the majority. 

"We'll seek legal counsel to determine whether we are going to appeal this decision or resubmit under basically the requirements of the city has set, which is a full recount for the whole city," said Llanes-Pulido.

"It's very expensive," said Watson. "It takes a lot of time. It adds to the kind of chaos of the situation. And we know who's won that election and it's over. And I hope we get back to work."