An interview with Doug Greco: The Austin Politics Newsletter

It’s a strange thing, the 2024 Austin mayoral election.

In many ways, Kirk Watson is in a very different position than when he first ran for reelection in 2000, during his first stint at City Hall. After a three-year term that drew acclaim from across the political spectrum and earned him the workplace nickname, “Mayor Wonderful,” Watson faced only token opponents for reelection, most notably Leslie Cochran, the cross-dressing homeless man who became an icon of Keep Austin Weird.