LinkedIn

Carmen was born and raised in Central and East Austin and graduated from LBJ High School. She holds a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of Chicago. 

Carmen currently works as an Executive Director at Go Austin. She previously worked as a wellness team program manager & community organizing consultant at a nonprofit, Marathon Kids, and as a research analyst and a community organizer at People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources (PODER). 

Carmen D. Llanes-Pulido currently serves as an Inaugural Independent Citizens Redistricting Commissioner. She also served as a commissioner of the City Planning Commission and chaired the City’s Latino Quality of Life Commission. 

Candidate website

kxan, One-on-one with Austin mayoral candidate Carmen Llanes Pulido 

Supports advocating for child care providers and working families.

Supported allowing child care providers to work during COVID. 

Supports the establishment of Resilience Hubs and emergency cooling and warming shelters.

Wants to help City Resilience Hubs and emergency cooling and warming shelters by working with city staff and residents affected by extreme weather. 

Plans to invest in infrastructure and basic services to enhance quality of life.

Plans to work with citizens to reduce citizen costs and invest in city infrastructure and basic services to enhance quality of life for city residents. 

Believes city government should be more accessible and beneficial to all residents.

Said, "I am running for Mayor of Austin because I believe that our city government should work for all of us."

Believes in the need for "new, responsible, community-informed leadership" at Austin City Hall.

Believes there is a need for "new, responsible, community-informed leadership" in Austin City Hall.

Promises to protect communities from displacement, disaster, and state-overreach.

Plans to work with citizens as mayor to "protect our communities from displacement, disaster, and state-overreach."

- Supported allowing child care providers to work during COVID. 
- Wants to help City Resilience Hubs and emergency cooling and warming shelters by working with city staff and residents affected by extreme weather. 
- Plans to work with citizens to reduce citizen costs and invest in city infrastructure and basic services to enhance quality of life for city residents. 
- Supports lowering taxes.
- Said, "I am running for Mayor of Austin because I believe that our city government should work for all of us."
- Believes there is a need for "new, responsible, community-informed leadership" in Austin City Hall.
- Plans to work with citizens as mayor to "protect our communities from displacement, disaster, and state-overreach."

Public Services

Believes in lowering crime rates by enhancing parks, lighting, and police-community relationships.

Wants to reduce crime rates by improving parks, lighting, Police relationships with the public. 

Said "I will not relent in protecting our local control."

Wants to address public safety, including homelessness.

- Wants to reduce crime rates by improving parks, lighting, Police relationships with the public. 
- Said "I will not relent in protecting our local control."
- Wants to address public safety, including homelessness.

Public Safety

Supports climate resiliency and sustainability.

Plans to use his degrees in Environmental Studies and Macroeconomics to find new funding opportunities and develop sustainable solutions to help the city become more climate resilient.

Plans to identify strategies and leverage "new funding opportunities" to develop sustainable solutions to improve climate resiliency in Austin. 

Plans to seek funds to improve infrastructure and systems to better prepare for and respond to flooding, heat, freezes, and other environmental shocks and stressors.

Plans to seek federal funds to improve infrastructure and systems to better prepare for and respond to flooding, heat, freezes, and other environmental shocks and stressors.

Plans to consult community members to ensure resources are spent wisely and equitably, so that "Austinites who are disproportionately affected by climate change and severe weather benefit from these investments."

Plans to consult community members to ensure resources are spent wisely and equitably, so city residents "who are disproportionately affected by climate change and severe weather benefit from these investments."

Believes climate change and self-serving politicians have created "dangerous circumstances" for Austinites.

Believes "Climate disaster paired with politicians who put power before people" have created "dangerous circumstances" for Austinites.

- Supports climate resiliency and sustainability.
- Plans to identify strategies and leverage "new funding opportunities" to develop sustainable solutions to improve climate resiliency in Austin. 
- Plans to seek federal funds to improve infrastructure and systems to better prepare for and respond to flooding, heat, freezes, and other environmental shocks and stressors.
- Plans to consult community members to ensure resources are spent wisely and equitably, so city residents "who are disproportionately affected by climate change and severe weather benefit from these investments."
- Believes "Climate disaster paired with politicians who put power before people" have created "dangerous circumstances" for Austinites.

Energy & the Environment

Supports Project Connect, which is a new mass transit plan which would add new light rail lines, four new CapMetro Rapid lines among other city services.

Wants to reevaluate and see how city residents are equitably going use transit services across and effectively commute, saying Project Connnect will not "take cars off the road...help commuters...[or] make anything more affordable."

- Supports Project Connect, which is a new mass transit plan which would add new light rail lines, four new CapMetro Rapid lines among other city services.
- Wants to reevaluate and see how city residents are equitably going use transit services across and effectively commute, saying Project Connnect will not "take cars off the road...help commuters...[or] make anything more affordable."

Transportation & Infrastructure

Plans to prioritize stabilizing city housing prices.

Aims to create more affordable and mixed-income housing by engaging the public in land use discussions and expanding Community Land Trusts.

Wants to create more affordable and mixed-income housing developments by engaging the public in discussions about land use discussions with community developers and scaling Community Land Trusts. 

Supports protecting residents from displacement by expanding renter protections, opposing policies that worsen the rent gap, and seeking more investments in anti-displacement efforts.

Plans to make efforts to prevent residents from being displaced by expanding renter protections, targeting policies that worsen rent gaps, and seeking more investments in anti-displacement efforts.

Believes working and middle-class households have been priced out of Austin due to rising rents and taxes, and opposes giving "billions of dollars in entitlements away to large investors for company headquarters and developments on our public lands."

Believes working and middle-class households have been priced out of Austin due to rising rents and taxes. 

Believes the current administration has prioritized deals with developers and corporations over investing in affordable housing, infrastructure, and basic services.

Believes the current administration has prioritized "making deals" with developers and corporations over investing in affordable housing, infrastructure, and basic services.

Plans to preserve over 5,000 affordable housing units by implementing policies to prevent loss and expanding tax incentives.

Plans to preserve "over 5,000 units of existing affordable housing" by implementing policies to prevent losing affordable housing and expanding tax incentives.

- Plans to prioritize stabilizing city housing prices.
- Wants to create more affordable and mixed-income housing developments by engaging the public in discussions about land use discussions with community developers and scaling Community Land Trusts. 
- Plans to make efforts to prevent residents from being displaced by expanding renter protections, targeting policies that worsen rent gaps, and seeking more investments in anti-displacement efforts.
- Believes working and middle-class households have been priced out of Austin due to rising rents and taxes. 
- Believes the current administration has prioritized "making deals" with developers and corporations over investing in affordable housing, infrastructure, and basic services.
- Plans to preserve "over 5,000 units of existing affordable housing" by implementing policies to prevent losing affordable housing and expanding tax incentives.

Housing & Urban Development

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

Carmen D. Llanes-Pulido

Carmen D. Llanes-Pulido was born and raised in Central and East Austin and graduated from LBJ High School. She attended the University of Chicago, earning a degree in Environmental Studies and Macroeconomics.

Carmen D. Llanes-Pulido worked at the nonprofit Marathon Kids for nearly a decade, where she created the “Wellness Team Initiative.” She has also served as a community organizer at People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources (PODER) and worked at the community organizing nonprofit GAVA for nearly 10 years.

Carmen D. Llanes-Pulido served on the inaugural Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission and chaired the City’s Latino Quality of Life Commission. She also served on the City’s Planning Commission.

Believes in the importance of nonprofit leadership, land-use scholarship, and community organizing for effective public service delivery.

As a leader in coalition efforts, secured millions for citywide enhancements to neighborhoods, schools, parks, and green spaces, boosting quality of life and public safety.

As a school board member, organized parents and teachers to implement healthier food and physical activity options in over 20 Austin schools.

Believes public services can be improved and are currently inadequate.

Believes in collaborating with diverse Austin communities to enhance quality of life and foster a more equitable city.

Supports establishing 10 single-member council districts.

Believes addressing public safety issues like response times and police oversight requires community expertise and input from frontline personnel and affected community members.

Supports "new accountable leadership" in public safety.

Believes "progressive values" enhance public safety and opposes state lawmakers' actions to "stifle our voices and undermine our progress."

Believes in "community-driven leadership" to enhance public safety.

Believes Austinites deserve a Mayor who will fight for "bold, new, and accountable leadership" to address public safety challenges.

Believes in "new accountable leadership" to enhance public safety.

Supports public safety through community engagement and local governance. As a member of the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, helped create single-member city council districts, ensuring more localized representation and accountability in public safety matters.

Believes in promoting climate resilience and sustainability.

Believes Austinites have united to protect their community from unaffordability, natural disasters, and local control attacks.

As a city official, developed neighborhood preparedness plans for fire, flood, heat, and winter storms, and held the city accountable to maintain infrastructure and facilities.

Supports enhancing transportation and infrastructure.

Supports local control in housing policy.

As a Planning Commissioner, supported the Land Development Code rewrite to address displacement and advocate for affordable housing.

Opposes "no-strings giveaways, subsidies to corporate investors, or backroom real estate deals." Supports using municipal funds for affordable housing, parkland, infrastructure, and local business partnerships.

As a City Council Member, successfully leveraged funds for infrastructural, retail, and programmatic improvements in Dove Springs, South Austin, Rundberg, and St. John's.

Supports defending neighborhoods and existing affordable housing.

Believes increasing debt and real estate speculation are driving up rents and property taxes, "forcing Austinites out."

Supports using Austin's economy to promote affordability, climate readiness, infrastructure, and environmental protection.

Believes in creating affordable housing options for all income levels.

Opposes "backroom deals for political gain" that compromise community interests in housing and urban development.

Acknowledges that being a big city has resulted in "big city issues," indicating an awareness of the challenges urban areas face.

- The role of a mayor in Texas is to preside over council meetings, represent the city, and facilitate communication between officials. 
- Cities may grant the mayor additional power or roles. 
- Mayors can also appoint members of citizen advisory boards and commissions.
- Mayors represent the city in intergovernmental relationships.
- Term limits, length of office, and salaries vary across cities or townships.