UT alumna Katie Kam launches campaign for Austin City Council seat representing West Campus

April 6, 2026

Katie Kam formally launched her campaign to represent the University area and West Campus on the Austin City Council. A longtime Austin resident and former West Campus neighbor, she says her connection to the neighborhood and to UT informs her decision to run.

Kam earned four degrees from the University of Texas, including a Ph.D. in civil engineering and a master’s in community and regional planning. Her career spans academic transportation research, engineering work for the city, and teaching in the Austin Independent School District.

She told voters she has always cared about Austin and believes the present moment is the right time to seek office, citing recent city decisions that she says are steering the city in the wrong direction. Kam plans to make everyday neighborhood needs a priority rather than emphasizing only large, high-profile projects.

The seat is currently held by Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, who joined the council in 2023 and is running for reelection. Kam will appear on the November ballot alongside Qadri, UT student Dave Thadani, and former UT professor Rich Heyman.

Drawing on her experience living in West Campus, Kam highlighted student concerns around housing costs, deteriorating streets, and limited tenant leverage. She wants the city to open discussions about stronger tenant protections and to gather input from university students and adjacent neighborhoods when developing housing strategies.

Kam criticized council spending choices that leave routine infrastructure, like pothole repairs and street upkeep, underfunded. She also supports expanding infrastructure to accommodate low-speed electric vehicles such as golf carts and electric trikes, arguing that mobility planning should include more than walking, biking, cars, and buses.

One of Kam’s earlier neighborhood initiatives was founding the West Campus Parking Benefit District in the early 2000s, which installed meters for on-street parking and channels revenue back into local improvements. She said that model shows how targeted programs can fund neighborhood amenities that help residents, students, and small businesses.

On statewide restrictions that affect university programs, Kam acknowledged the council has limited power over state policy but said city government can still be a welcoming and safe space. She emphasized seeking broad input and pursuing solutions she describes as win-win for the University area and surrounding communities.