In a whirlwind 48-hour political saga, former reality television personality Farrah Abraham briefly entered, then abruptly exited, the race to become the next mayor of Austin, Texas, after a significant calendar error.
A Mayoral Mix-Up: 2026 vs. 2028
The 34-year-old star of MTV's '16 and Pregnant' and 'Teen Mom' publicly declared her candidacy on Wednesday, only to withdraw the following day. The dramatic U-turn came during an interview with TMZ on Thursday, 16 January 2026, when she discovered the Austin mayoral election is scheduled for 2028, not this year as she had believed.
"For some reason, the mayor election is 2026," Abraham initially told TMZ hosts, attributing the misinformation to city officials. "I don't know. That's just what the office told me." After receiving clarification, her campaign team swiftly refiled paperwork, this time aiming for a city council seat in District 5 instead of the mayor's office.
From Mayor to Council: A Swift Pivot
Abraham explained her sudden political ambitions in a separate interview with local NBC affiliate KXAN. "I reached out to the city and I just was like, 'Hey, I'm very serious about this … I love this city and I want to get involved," she stated, expressing a desire to help residents she perceives as struggling.
She even mused about holding dual roles, telling the station, "If I could be a district seat and I could be mayor at the same time, I probably would do it." The star announced her revised plans on her Instagram Story, writing, "Looks like I'm running for district 2026! Thank you Keep it weird."
A Reality TV Star's Unconventional Political Debut
Abraham, who moved to Austin from Nebraska in 2013, rose to fame documenting her pregnancy and early motherhood on MTV. In the years since, her career has spanned life coaching, comedy, and adult content creation on OnlyFans, according to her official website. She appears to have no prior political experience.
This lack of conventional political background was highlighted when KXAN asked her opinion of the current District 5 council member, Ryan Alter. Abraham admitted she did not know who he was, though she confirmed she resides within the district she now seeks to represent.
"I just can't wait to see what's really going on… We're going to have a really good life. We're going to have a better life in Austin," she optimistically told the network.
Abraham's brief foray into politics follows a similar move by another reality TV alumnus, Spencer Pratt of 'The Hills', who recently announced a bid for mayor of Los Angeles following a devastating wildfire.
