Texas Ballot Compare

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Nonpartisan voter guide · Texas

Board of Trustees, At-Large Position 9

Race · November 3, 2026 general election

Austin ISD
Vote for oneResearched · fact-checked3-way race
Cynthia SolizCynthia SolizNonpartisan
Kirk BeckerNonpartisan
Pamela MathaiPamela MathaiNonpartisan
On ballot as
Cynthia Soliz
Kirk Becker
Pamela Mathai
Current role
Lawyer, Soliz Coleman, PLLC
Retired; former IT support worker
Former public school teacher
Background
  • Former educator (per candidate Q&A)
  • Former Austin ISD counsel (per candidate Q&A)
  • Two-time PTA vice president (per candidate Q&A)
  • School Health Advisory Council chair (per candidate Q&A)
  • Twenty-year Austin resident and current Austin ISD parent (per campaign)
  • Fluent in Spanish and American Sign Language (per campaign)
  • "Mayoral Candidate for Affordable Housing back in 1997" (per candidate Q&A)
  • Master's in education, University of Texas (per candidate survey)
  • Former teacher, Texas public schools in Houston, Dallas and Austin (15 years; per campaign)
  • Schools included the Ann Richards School and Navarro High School (per campaign)
  • Parent of an Austin ISD student
Experience
  • Educational work in Austin since 2008 (per candidate Q&A)
  • Member, City of Austin Ethics Commission (per campaign)
  • High school mock trial team coach (per campaign)
Not found
  • Was an Education Austin union member who helped organize teachers (per candidate survey)
Top priorities
  • "Mitigating the impact of TEA action on AISD."
  • "creating the least disruption at the campus level: support where needed; but, trust and autonomy where it's not"
  • Campaign site: "A huge part of that is keeping public education public."
  • Campaign site: "Stop selling schools."
  • Running "To address the concerns over students leaving AISD for state-supported and funded Charter Schools."
  • "There isn't any practical middle ground between zero and the current tax rates, I'd prioritize $0."
  • "The state is taking half our funding and telling us we're too incompetent to run our own school district"
  • "I will work to protect AISD from state takeover"
  • "safeguard the learning experience of students by protecting the autonomy of teachers and independence of our district"
  • "prioritizing funding schools based on need and by protecting pay for classified and non-classified staff"
  • "advocate for an increased basic allotment for students to match the national average and fight against vouchers"
Tidbits
  • Curriculum and instructional materials: No public statement found
  • Library books: Campaign site: says her activism this year "helped keep full time librarians in schools"
  • School funding and bonds: Campaign site: "Continue to advocate for a change in the recapture formula to take into account suburban and urban school district needs."
  • Vouchers / school choice: Campaign site: "Austin ISD has long been late to the idea that school choice is not the future, but the current reality."
  • Curriculum and instructional materials: No public statement found
  • Library books: No public statement found
  • School funding and bonds: Community Impact Q&A (Aug. 2026): "There isn't any practical middle ground between zero and the current tax rates, I'd prioritize $0."
  • Vouchers / school choice: Community Impact Q&A (Aug. 2026): running "To address the concerns over students leaving AISD for state-supported and funded Charter Schools."
  • Curriculum and instructional materials: Ballotpedia survey (2026): "The one-size-fits-all, AI created curriculum we've seen in TEA controlled districts amounts to a deprofessionalization of teaching"
  • Library books: No public statement found
  • School funding and bonds: Community Impact Q&A (Aug. 2026): "we must continue to advocate for an increased basic allotment for students to match the national average"
  • Vouchers / school choice: Ballotpedia survey (2026): "We must also continue to fight against vouchers, tax credits, and other programs that redirect public tax dollars to private schools."
Endorsements
None found in our research
None found in our research
  • Austin Central Labor Council
  • U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (listed by campaign)
  • Travis County Judge Andy Brown (listed by campaign)
  • Alison Alter, former Austin City Council member, District 10 (listed by campaign)
  • Allison Bush, Democratic nominee for State Board of Education District 5 (listed by campaign)
Show all 36
  • Andrew Gonzalez, Austin ISD trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Arati Singh, Austin ISD trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Fernando de Urioste, Austin ISD trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Travis County Commissioner George Morales (listed by campaign)
  • LaRessa Quintana, Austin ISD trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Lynn Boswell, Austin ISD trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Austin City Council Member Mike Siegel (listed by campaign)
  • Montserrat Garibay, Democratic nominee for Texas House District 49 (listed by campaign)
  • Noelita Lugo, former Austin ISD trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Paul Saldaña, former Austin ISD trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Pooja Sethi, Democratic nominee for Texas House District 47 (listed by campaign)
  • Austin City Council Member Ryan Alter (listed by campaign)
  • Sean Hassan, Austin Community College trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Travis County Constable Stacy Suits (listed by campaign)
  • Stephanie Gharakhanian, Austin Community College trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Steve Jackobs, Austin Community College trustee (listed by campaign)
  • State Rep. Vikki Goodwin (listed by campaign)
  • Austin City Council Member Zo Qadri (listed by campaign)
  • Alice Yi, co-founder of Asian Texans for Justice (listed by campaign)
  • Amber Goodwin, candidate for Austin City Council District 1 (listed by campaign)
  • Carrie Griffith, Our Schools Our Democracy executive director (listed by campaign)
  • Minda Anderson, Austin ISD librarian (listed by campaign)
  • Robert Norris, founder of Grandparents for Public Schools (listed by campaign)
  • Selena Xie, candidate for Austin City Council District 8 (listed by campaign)
  • Asian American Democrats of Texas (listed by campaign)
  • Austin Young Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • Education Austin (listed by campaign)
  • Circle C Area Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • Liberal Austin Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • Tejano Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • University Democrats (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
cynthiasolizforaisd.com
Not found
pamelaforaisd.com
Cynthia Soliz

Cynthia Soliz

Nonpartisan
On ballot as
Cynthia Soliz
Current role
Lawyer, Soliz Coleman, PLLC
Background
  • Former educator (per candidate Q&A)
  • Former Austin ISD counsel (per candidate Q&A)
  • Two-time PTA vice president (per candidate Q&A)
  • School Health Advisory Council chair (per candidate Q&A)
  • Twenty-year Austin resident and current Austin ISD parent (per campaign)
  • Fluent in Spanish and American Sign Language (per campaign)
Experience
  • Educational work in Austin since 2008 (per candidate Q&A)
  • Member, City of Austin Ethics Commission (per campaign)
  • High school mock trial team coach (per campaign)
Top priorities
  • "Mitigating the impact of TEA action on AISD."
  • "creating the least disruption at the campus level: support where needed; but, trust and autonomy where it's not"
  • Campaign site: "A huge part of that is keeping public education public."
  • Campaign site: "Stop selling schools."
Tidbits
  • Curriculum and instructional materials: No public statement found
  • Library books: Campaign site: says her activism this year "helped keep full time librarians in schools"
  • School funding and bonds: Campaign site: "Continue to advocate for a change in the recapture formula to take into account suburban and urban school district needs."
  • Vouchers / school choice: Campaign site: "Austin ISD has long been late to the idea that school choice is not the future, but the current reality."
Endorsements
None found in our research
Campaign website
cynthiasolizforaisd.com

Kirk Becker

Nonpartisan
On ballot as
Kirk Becker
Current role
Retired; former IT support worker
Background
  • "Mayoral Candidate for Affordable Housing back in 1997" (per candidate Q&A)
Experience
Not found
Top priorities
  • Running "To address the concerns over students leaving AISD for state-supported and funded Charter Schools."
  • "There isn't any practical middle ground between zero and the current tax rates, I'd prioritize $0."
  • "The state is taking half our funding and telling us we're too incompetent to run our own school district"
Tidbits
  • Curriculum and instructional materials: No public statement found
  • Library books: No public statement found
  • School funding and bonds: Community Impact Q&A (Aug. 2026): "There isn't any practical middle ground between zero and the current tax rates, I'd prioritize $0."
  • Vouchers / school choice: Community Impact Q&A (Aug. 2026): running "To address the concerns over students leaving AISD for state-supported and funded Charter Schools."
Endorsements
None found in our research
Campaign website
Not found
Pamela Mathai

Pamela Mathai

Nonpartisan
On ballot as
Pamela Mathai
Current role
Former public school teacher
Background
  • Master's in education, University of Texas (per candidate survey)
  • Former teacher, Texas public schools in Houston, Dallas and Austin (15 years; per campaign)
  • Schools included the Ann Richards School and Navarro High School (per campaign)
  • Parent of an Austin ISD student
Experience
  • Was an Education Austin union member who helped organize teachers (per candidate survey)
Top priorities
  • "I will work to protect AISD from state takeover"
  • "safeguard the learning experience of students by protecting the autonomy of teachers and independence of our district"
  • "prioritizing funding schools based on need and by protecting pay for classified and non-classified staff"
  • "advocate for an increased basic allotment for students to match the national average and fight against vouchers"
Tidbits
  • Curriculum and instructional materials: Ballotpedia survey (2026): "The one-size-fits-all, AI created curriculum we've seen in TEA controlled districts amounts to a deprofessionalization of teaching"
  • Library books: No public statement found
  • School funding and bonds: Community Impact Q&A (Aug. 2026): "we must continue to advocate for an increased basic allotment for students to match the national average"
  • Vouchers / school choice: Ballotpedia survey (2026): "We must also continue to fight against vouchers, tax credits, and other programs that redirect public tax dollars to private schools."
Endorsements
  • Austin Central Labor Council
  • U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (listed by campaign)
  • Travis County Judge Andy Brown (listed by campaign)
  • Alison Alter, former Austin City Council member, District 10 (listed by campaign)
  • Allison Bush, Democratic nominee for State Board of Education District 5 (listed by campaign)
Show all 36
  • Andrew Gonzalez, Austin ISD trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Arati Singh, Austin ISD trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Fernando de Urioste, Austin ISD trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Travis County Commissioner George Morales (listed by campaign)
  • LaRessa Quintana, Austin ISD trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Lynn Boswell, Austin ISD trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Austin City Council Member Mike Siegel (listed by campaign)
  • Montserrat Garibay, Democratic nominee for Texas House District 49 (listed by campaign)
  • Noelita Lugo, former Austin ISD trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Paul Saldaña, former Austin ISD trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Pooja Sethi, Democratic nominee for Texas House District 47 (listed by campaign)
  • Austin City Council Member Ryan Alter (listed by campaign)
  • Sean Hassan, Austin Community College trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Travis County Constable Stacy Suits (listed by campaign)
  • Stephanie Gharakhanian, Austin Community College trustee (listed by campaign)
  • Steve Jackobs, Austin Community College trustee (listed by campaign)
  • State Rep. Vikki Goodwin (listed by campaign)
  • Austin City Council Member Zo Qadri (listed by campaign)
  • Alice Yi, co-founder of Asian Texans for Justice (listed by campaign)
  • Amber Goodwin, candidate for Austin City Council District 1 (listed by campaign)
  • Carrie Griffith, Our Schools Our Democracy executive director (listed by campaign)
  • Minda Anderson, Austin ISD librarian (listed by campaign)
  • Robert Norris, founder of Grandparents for Public Schools (listed by campaign)
  • Selena Xie, candidate for Austin City Council District 8 (listed by campaign)
  • Asian American Democrats of Texas (listed by campaign)
  • Austin Young Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • Education Austin (listed by campaign)
  • Circle C Area Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • Liberal Austin Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • Tejano Democrats (listed by campaign)
  • University Democrats (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
pamelaforaisd.com

Open in the full comparison: Travis County

Not every voter sees every race. Your districts depend on your address. Candidate photos link to their source.
Information comes from public sources and campaign websites and may contain errors. Report errors to admin@stg-fortbendranchersball-staging.kinsta.cloud.

All counties and races