Dave Thadani is running for Austin City Council's District 9 seat. As an employee, student and lifelong Texan, Dave aims to restore transparency and accountability within the city of Austin. He is a catalyst for the people, and will fight for working-class families, everyday citizens, and an Austin that works for all.

Dave for Austin City Council - District 9

Thadani, a computer science freshman, said he became interested in politics during the 2016 presidential election. He said he began researching how to run for office as soon as he enrolled at the University, and is now running for the Austin City Council District 9 seat, which represents UT and West Campus.

University freshman joins race for UT and West Campus City Council district

Dave Thadani is a lifelong Texan. He is a computer science freshman at the University of Texas at Austin.

University freshman joins race for UT and West Campus' city council ...

2026 Texas General Election

As of September 10, 2026, Dave Thadani’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Economy

Public Services

* Landlord Transparency & Renter Protection +
Austin renters are forced into premature contracts and poor conditions due to a lack of clear, accessible, and honest information. It's time our city steps up and holds landlords accountable, mandating transparency and protecting residents.
It's necessary to create a Landlord Transparency Portal, a digital resource that will consolidate existing public data. This includes pulling information from Citizen Connect and other databases to provide a more user-friendly history of code violations, failed inspections, and repeat offenders. As part of the portal, every multifamily rental property will receive a city-compliance "performance score" based on the data from the last 6 months, 1, 5, and 10 years.

It's necessary to create a Landlord Transparency Portal, a digital resource that will consolidate existing public data. This includes pulling information from Citizen Connect and other databases to provide a more user-friendly history of code violations, failed inspections, and repeat offenders. As part of the portal, every multifamily rental property will receive a city-compliance "performance score" based on the data from the last 6 months, 1, 5, and 10 years.
In addition, it's a bare minimum to require all multi-family residential complexes to clearly and permanently display 311 reporting information in common areas, leasing offices, webpages, and resident portals. Ensuring every tenant is aware of and provided with the necessary information to report health and safety issues within their building.

Currently, renters are being pressured into lease renewals and agreements months in advance. Large complexes create artificial deadlines that rush life-altering decisions, using early bird deals and manipulative promotions. We must restrict the marketing of lease contracts before renters are prepared to sign.

* Abundant, Accessible, & Affordable Housing (AAAH) +
We need to ensure abundant, accessible, and affordable housing (AAAH) for all within Austin. This means prioritizing families over corporations. While the H.O.M.E Initiative is a good start, we need to amend it to make sure that affordable housing is occupied and owned by families, working-class citizens, and students.

An AAAH Austin is one that prevents homelessness at the source through deliberate action and expansion of existing programs (Vouchers, Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), Right to Return and Stay).

Proposes a Landlord Transparency Portal with rental-property compliance scores based on public records of code violations and inspections.

Proposes requiring multifamily complexes to permanently display information about reporting issues to 311 in common areas, leasing offices, websites, and resident portals.

Calls for restricting the marketing of lease contracts before renters are ready to sign them.

Proposes amending the H.O.M.E. Initiative to prioritize affordable housing occupied and owned by families, working-class residents, and students.

Advocates expanding vouchers, permanent supportive housing, and Right to Return and Stay programs to prevent homelessness.

- Proposes a Landlord Transparency Portal with rental-property compliance scores based on public records of code violations and inspections.
- Proposes requiring multifamily complexes to permanently display information about reporting issues to 311 in common areas, leasing offices, websites, and resident portals.
- Calls for restricting the marketing of lease contracts before renters are ready to sign them.
- Proposes amending the H.O.M.E. Initiative to prioritize affordable housing occupied and owned by families, working-class residents, and students.
- Advocates expanding vouchers, permanent supportive housing, and Right to Return and Stay programs to prevent homelessness.

Housing & Urban Development

* Safe & Sustainable City Planning +
A safe city is a well-planned city. To ensure an Austin that works for locals and welcomes tourists, we need to integrate focused lighting in heavy foot traffic areas, complete pedestrian infrastructure, and a proactive police presence, as they are the most effective tools for protecting personal freedoms and delivering a safe and walkable city.
We need to make sure the city grows with its people and accommodates all of our needs. Proper growth means fixing our old mistakes and preventing new ones.

Advocates focused lighting, infrastructure for pedestrians, and a proactive police presence in high-foot-traffic areas.

- Advocates focused lighting, infrastructure for pedestrians, and a proactive police presence in high-foot-traffic areas.

Public Safety

Furthermore, we must expand on the CapMetro bikeshare and bus system and promote the growth of the upcoming metro. This means more bikeshare docks across Austin, a completed bikelane network, as well as integration with most public roads.

Advocates expanding Capital Metro bikeshare and bus service, adding bikeshare docks, completing bicycle lanes, and supporting the upcoming metro.

- Advocates expanding Capital Metro bikeshare and bus service, adding bikeshare docks, completing bicycle lanes, and supporting the upcoming metro.

Transportation & Infrastructure

We need to make sure the city grows with its people and accommodates all of our needs. Proper growth means fixing our old mistakes and preventing new ones. This includes protecting our watersheds and focusing on an expanded drainage system to counteract the flooding caused by impervious cover.

Additionally, the increase in impervious cover due to negligent development has led to Austin becoming an Urban Heat Island (UHI), as native vegetation is destroyed and 30-40% of the city is covered in asphalt and concrete, which absorbs heat and contributes to triple-digit temperatures. To combat this, we need to invest in protecting and expanding our green spaces. This would also allow us to create an abundance of third spaces that foster culture, recreation, and community.

Advocates protecting watersheds and expanding drainage systems to address flooding from surfaces that do not absorb water.

Advocates protecting and expanding green spaces to address urban heat from surfaces that do not absorb water.

- Advocates protecting watersheds and expanding drainage systems to address flooding from surfaces that do not absorb water.
- Advocates protecting and expanding green spaces to address urban heat from surfaces that do not absorb water.

Energy & the Environment

Instagram

Dave Thadani

Mauricio Mendez

Buket Urgen

Kai Huang

Katie Kam

Rich Heyman

Zohaib “Zo” Qadri

- City council members collaborate to create and enforce city policies, including legislation on essential services like police, fire, parks, libraries, and utilities.
- They work alongside the mayor to manage city departments, including transportation and parks and recreation.
- Council members can be elected to represent specific districts or the entire city at-large.
- The structure of city councils, including the number of members, their terms, term limits, and partisanship, differs by county.

Passes laws and regulations for your city.