Anderson fourth candidate in race for mayor

Published 6:41 am Wednesday, May 26, 2010

A fourth mayoral candidate, Gordon W. Anderson, 67, filed for office Monday afternoon.

Anderson, a retired printer, joins incumbent mayor Tom Stiehm, Austin City Council member Marian Clennon and Austin resident Zeke Dahl on the ballot.

Anderson, who has not held elected office, said he is running because of dissatisfaction with work being done by current officials.

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“My friends kept saying to me, ‘Gordon, you are so upset, so frustrated, why don’t you run for office?’”

Anderson disapproves of the Main Street Project and feels the city has not focused enough on bringing new industry into Austin.

He also thinks city officials have not been transparent about the cost of the new jail, and believes home rental properties need more regulation.

Anderson has lived in Austin since 2003, and in that time has earned an associate’s degree from Riverland Community College.

He believes his career, with years spent in a supervisory printing position, qualifies him for office.

The mayor’s race is the only city political election to officially attract challengers thus far, but that could change soon.

Judy Enright, 55, of Austin filed Tuesday for a third ward city council member seat.

Enright, the current physical plant director at Riverland Community College, could be challenging John Martin whose third ward spot is up for election Nov. 2.

Martin has not filed for re-election but said last week that he planned to.

The Austin City Council has four open seats besides mayor; incumbent council members Janet Anderson, Jeff Austin and Dick Pacholl filed for re-election.

Enright wrote in her affidavit of candidacy that she wants to help the city prioritize issues and use creative measures to “ride out this (financial) crisis.”

She also said she is looking for a new challenge.

Also Tuesday, Austin school board member Kathy Green filed in the Senate District 27 race. Green, who has been on the school board since 2000, will be up against Dan Sparks, the two-term Democratic Senator.

Green announced she would run last week. To read more about her candidacy, check out the story in the May 20 issue of the Herald.

Austin Utilities board member Jeanne Sheehan also filed for re-election Tuesday.