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Robert D. Thomas
Robert Thomas was a member of the Texas Workforce Commission. Thomas assumed office on October 15, 2018. Thomas left office on May 13, 2019.
Thomas ran for election to the Austin City Council to represent District 10 in Texas. Thomas lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Previously, Thomas was an unsuccessful 2014 candidate for District 10 of the Austin, Texas City Council.
Biography
Robert D. Thomas earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and German from Loyola University in New Orleans, a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business. His career experience includes serving as chair of the Texas Facilities Commission, board member of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, and chairman of the Board of SafePlace. He has also worked as an attorney, businessman, and founding principal of a business strategy consulting and advisory firm.[1]
Political career
Texas Workforce Commission (2018-2019)
Thomas was appointed to the Texas Workforce Commission as the representative for the public on October 15, 2018, by Gov. Greg Abbott.[1] He resigned in May 2019.[2]
Elections
2020
See also: City elections in Austin, Texas (2020)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Austin City Council District 10
Incumbent Alison Alter defeated Jennifer Virden in the general runoff election for Austin City Council District 10 on December 15, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Alison Alter (Nonpartisan) | 51.3 | 12,480 |
 | Jennifer Virden (Nonpartisan) | 48.7 | 11,824 | |
| Total votes: 24,304 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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General election
General election for Austin City Council District 10
The following candidates ran in the general election for Austin City Council District 10 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Alison Alter (Nonpartisan) | 34.2 | 15,640 |
| ✔ | | Jennifer Virden (Nonpartisan) | 25.4 | 11,637 |
| Pooja Sethi (Nonpartisan) | 18.1 | 8,295 | ||
 | Robert Thomas (Nonpartisan) | 16.6 | 7,599 | |
| Belinda Greene (Nonpartisan) | 3.0 | 1,364 | ||
 | Ben Easton (Nonpartisan) | 1.9 | 847 | |
| Noel Tristan (Nonpartisan) | 0.9 | 390 | ||
| Total votes: 45,772 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
Thomas was appointed to the Texas Workforce Commission as the representative for the public on October 15, 2018, by Gov. Greg Abbott.[1]
2014
- See also: Austin, Texas municipal elections, 2014.
The city of Austin held elections for city council on November 4, 2014. The candidate filing deadline was August 18, 2014. Because of redistricting and term limits, there was no incumbent for District 10.[3] The candidates were Marjorie "Margie" Burciaga, Audrey "Tina" Cannon, Amanda "Mandy" Dealey, Sheri P. Gallo, Matthew L. Lamon, Jason W. Meeker, Robert D. Thomas and William L. Worsham.[4] Because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote in the general election, the top two vote-getters - Dealey and Gallo - faced each other in a runoff election on December 16, 2014.[5] Gallo was the winner.[6]
| Austin City Council, District 10, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
 Mandy Dealey |
30.7% | 8,566 | |
| Sheri P. Gallo |
22.9% | 6,403 | |
| Margie Burciaga | 4.6% | 1,298 | |
| Tina Cannon | 3.8% | 1,072 | |
| Matthew L. Lamon | 3.1% | 877 | |
| Jason W. Meeker | 6.3% | 1,769 | |
| Robert D. Thomas | 18.9% | 5,276 | |
| Bill Worsham | 9.5% | 2,666 | |
| Total Votes | 18,216 | ||
| Source: Travis County Clerk - 2014 Official Election Results | |||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Robert Thomas did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2014
On his campaign website, Thomas highlighted the following issues:[7]
Transportation
- Excerpt: "Traffic congestion has reached crisis levels, and is the universal scourge across all of Austin. Real and sustained traffic congestion will require real and diverse solutions, and a commitment to re-engineering how we prioritize our budget and where we direct our limited resources. It will also require council members who can credibly work with other local governmental entities, including Travis County, other cities, neighboring counties and the state legislature to develop and fund a long term comprehensive regional transportation plan. Any viable solution must include adding to our roadway capacity. While critical to any large and important growing city, public transportation and mass transit alone cannot solve the traffic congestion problems that threaten our city’s ecological, economic and mental health. Long term, Austin must develop and implement a sustainable and strategic global multi-modal transportation plan that includes roads and public transportation options."
Affordability
- Excerpt: "Affordability cannot simply be a buzz word for those running for office, or hoping to keep their office. Just as with traffic, decades of bad city hall policy decisions have crippled affordability for many families today. Indeed, virtually all demographic and socioeconomic areas of our city are struggling with affordability. When done correctly, strategic policy decisions guided by long-term strategic affordability guidelines will provide cost certainty to Austinites, reducing the annual increase in sticker shock as the cost of living in our city."
Education
- Excerpt: "Given the immense challenges facing AISD and our school board trustees, the city council must be an active partner in promoting policies which give ALL of our children the skills, tools and opportunity to succeed in life by starting with an outstanding education. We must partner with AISD to keep public education thriving and successful."
Water
- Excerpt: "The Central Texas drinking water resources are currently at 30% of capacity. Our area lakes are full of white sun-bleached limestone instead of refreshing water, and many aquifers have reached historic lows. Many smaller central Texas communities are already trucking in water for their populations. Closer to home, the City of Westlake had a moratorium on issuing new building permits, the City of Lakeway has halted all permits for new swimming pools, and the City of Pflugerville has been at Stage 3 water restrictions for almost a year, all because of water woes. Bottom line – This drought is severe, and the consequences are severe and imminent."
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Texas Workforce Commission, "TWC Commissioners," accessedJanuary 29, 2018
- ↑ Texas Workforce Commission, "TWC Commissioner Representing the Public Robert D. Thomas Steps Down," May 13, 2019
- ↑ City of Austin, "2014 Election Calendar," accessed May 14, 2014
- ↑ City of Austin, "2014 Candidate List," accessed September 4, 2014
- ↑ Travis County Clerk, "2014 Unofficial Election Results," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ Travis County Clerk, "2014 Runoff Election Results," accessed December 16, 2014
- ↑ Vote Robert Thomas, "Agenda for Austin," accessed September 29, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Andres Alcantar |
Texas Workforce Commission 2018-2019 |
Succeeded by Bryan Daniel |
| |||||||||
