A reality television personalitys brief bid for the Austin, Texas, mayors office collapsed almost as soon as it began, after she learned live on air that the election she thought she was entering would not take place for another two years.
Farrah Abraham, best known for her appearances on reality TV, filed paperwork on Wednesday to run for mayor of Austin, only to be informed during a Thursday interview on TMZ that the citys next mayoral contest is scheduled for 2028, according to Mediaite. Abraham reacted in real time, telling the hosts, Oh, and adding, I was told mayoral election is 2026. I dont know. Thats just what the office told me, as well.
Local outlet KXAN reported that Abrahams team moved quickly to correct course once the timing blunder became public. In an interview with KXAN Thursday afternoon, Abraham said her team refiled the paperwork earlier in the day to enter her in the race for District 5s city council seat.
Abraham told KXAN that she intends to focus her campaign on the cost-of-living crisis that has accelerated under progressive urban leadership in cities like Austin. She said housing affordability will be a central theme and highlighted struggles faced by self-employed workers, pointing to friends who have left Austin because of soaring housing prices.
She further claimed that rent for her own downtown Austin residence had recently doubled, a familiar story in blue-run cities where heavy regulation and high taxes often collide with limited housing supply. While Abrahams initial misstep underscores a lack of basic familiarity with the electoral calendar, her pivot to a council race and emphasis on affordability and small-business pressures reflect concerns many residents share as they watch liberal policies drive up costs and push working families out of Americas urban centers.
Login