Morgan Witt

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Morgan Witt

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Associate

Austin Community College

Bachelor's

Southwestern University

Personal

Birthplace

Austin, Texas

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Campaign YouTube

Morgan Witt ran for election to the Austin City Council to represent District 7 in Texas. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Witt completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Morgan Witt was born in Austin, Texas. She earned an associate degree from Austin Community College and two bachelor's degrees from Southwestern University: a B.S. in education and a B.A. in Spanish.

Elections

2020

See also: City elections in Austin, Texas (2020)

General election

General election for Austin City Council District 7

Incumbent Leslie Pool defeated Morgan Witt in the general election for Austin City Council District 7 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Leslie Pool (Nonpartisan)	67.3	27,423
		Morgan Witt (Nonpartisan)	32.7	13,353

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 40,776
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

To view Witt's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Morgan Witt completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Witt's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a born and raised Austinite, an educator and community advocate, who's dedicated her life and career to serving the people in her community. As a public servant and member of the tech community I bring well-rounded experience and creative, comprehensive solutions to the table to tackle Austin's old problems.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Let's get to the heart of this city's issues. Austin is facing a livability crisis in both affordability (both housing and transportation) and environmental sustainability. Everyone deserves to live a good life in Austin and we need a new approach to these old problems or we'll soon be past the point of no return. I'll work to create more affordable, accessible, and diverse housing and transportation options for ALL Austinites.
• Austin is the most economically segregated metro area in the US - we need to build an Austin for All. Equity and inclusion should be the foundation of our city, and the basis on which all reforms and decisions are made. This includes police and public safety reform as well as decisions around housing and transportation. But it also means making local government more accessible, fair, and transparent for residents - whether that be in gathering community input or in decision-making processes, or in promoting more diverse representation in City offices, commissions, and boards.
• Let's save our local economy. Our iconic live music scene is dying, and our bars, restaurants, and local businesses with it. We not only need short-term relief to mitigate any further disaster during this pandemic, but we also need to be more proactive in the way we cultivate and protect the industries that make Austin so iconic. I'll develop a sustainable plan for the future by creating a dedicated Austin Cultural Preservation Fund and making Austin more affordable for our musicians.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

1) Establishing equity and inclusion in all facets of policy, procedure, process, and public life. 2) Making local government and local politics more fair, transparent, and accessible to all Austinites. 3) Developing a robust live music preservation program that will sustain our live music scene and help it thrive.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

There's always a big focus on the presidential and other national races, but the fact is that decisions made at the local level are what most impact our day-to-day lives. The decisions made here have the opportunity to meet the specific needs of city residents. Not only that, but local jurisdictions can often be incubators for the change, creative solutions, and new ideas that eventually rolls up to the state and federal levels.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I believe that the everyday people who dedicate themselves to waking up every morning and making the world a better place are our heroes and role models. I look up to and follow the example of all the volunteers, community advocates, social activists, and public servants who provide such valuable service to our community and often go unrecognized.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I believe that being a politician means being a public servant. Public servants not only need experience with the communities they serve, but also the ability to think critically and creatively about complex problems, work with diverse (and sometimes conflicting) groups to make decisions, and most of all the tendency to be solution-focused. And most of all, they need to go out of their way to listen to and amplify the voices of those who most often go unheard.

What legacy would you like to leave?

All I want is to leave Austin a more livable, equitable, sustainable city than it was before, and show my community that we all can be a part of the change we want to see.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I think the one that stuck with me the most as a child was 9/11. I was in 8th grade, sitting in my science class at Deer Park Middle School when the announcement was made and we watched events unfold on the wall-mounted TV.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I started babysitting before I could drive, but my first "official" job back in high school was as an administrative assistant at a local exterior renovations company.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Definitely Warp Riders by The Sword (both the song and the album).

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

There's a reason term limits exist. We need only look to Washington, D.C. to see that a lengthy political career in no way guarantees that someone is qualified for the position.

What makes someone a good candidate for any job, be it in business or government/politics, isn't whether they've held that position before. It's whether they have certain skills and experiences that lend themselves to that role.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

I believe that being a politician means being a public servant. Public servants not only need experience with the communities they serve, but also the ability to think critically and creatively about complex problems, work with diverse (and sometimes conflicting) groups to make decisions, and most of all the tendency to be solution-focused. And most of all, they need to go out of their way to listen to and amplify the voices of those who most often go unheard.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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