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Goodwin Quits DA Job to Run for District 1

Goodwin leads the six-candidate field in fundraising as the seat opens in January.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Elections

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Former Travis County prosecutor Amber Goodwin resigned Sept. 1 to run full time for Austin's open District 1 City Council seat, leading a six-candidate field in fundraising. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Austin voters in District 1 now have a candidate who left her day job to run full time: Amber Goodwin resigned as a Travis County assistant district attorney on Sept. 1 to campaign for the council seat Natasha Harper-Madison will vacate in January.

Why it matters

The District 1 race is one of the open seats that will reshape the council after January, and Goodwin's full-time bid is a bet that the job's $135,179 salary is worth stepping away from a $92,800 paycheck to pursue. How the field of six shakes out will determine who speaks for East Austin's district at the table where housing and budget fights get decided.

Goodwin's Oct. 28 fundraising total of $123,010 leads a six-candidate field that includes Ramos at $65,263, Brown at $38,089, Anderson at $36,577 and Riggins at $1,317. The city's $50,000 cap on outside-donor contributions per election means Goodwin cannot take more outside money unless she makes a runoff.

The players

Amber Goodwin

A 46-year-old former Travis County assistant district attorney running for the District 1 council seat.

Natasha Harper-Madison

The District 1 council member who will vacate the seat in January.

Travis County District Attorney's Office

The office where Goodwin worked as an assistant district attorney before resigning on Sept. 1.

The details

Goodwin resigned from the Travis County DA's office on Sept. 1, where she had been an assistant district attorney since May 2022 and had joined as a law clerk in August 2021, earning $92,800 a year. Her campaign has hired Alberto "Skip" Vasquez as campaign manager and paid Hernandez Wick Campaigns $9,000 in retainers. She faces five opponents, and if elected she would be the fifth lawyer on the council.

Timeline

  1. 2007: Goodwin was convicted of obstructing highway passage, a Class B misdemeanor, and served two days in jail.

  2. August 2021: Goodwin joined the DA's office as a law clerk.

  3. May 2022: Goodwin was appointed assistant district attorney.

  4. Sept. 1: Goodwin resigned to campaign full time.

  5. January: Natasha Harper-Madison vacates the District 1 seat.

The Texas Context

Austin's council races run under local rules that cap outside-donor contributions at $50,000 per election, the same framework that applies to every candidate in the field. Goodwin's full-time bid mirrors the wave of candidates in Austin's 10-1 district races who have stepped back from other work to campaign.

If you live in District 1, the field will narrow before the seat opens in January, and your choice will shape who represents East Austin at City Hall. Watch for candidate forums and the Travis County Clerk's listings to see who remains on the ballot.

The takeaway

Goodwin's fundraising lead is real but bounded by the $50,000 outside-donor cap, so the District 1 race will likely turn on who can build a base beyond the top fundraiser. Keep an eye on the Travis County Clerk's candidate listings as the field takes shape before January.

Further reading

For the broader picture on how Austin's council seats are contested, see Elections coverage across the city.

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Do you trust local government more when council members come from public-service careers?