Soliz Concedes Austin ISD District 9 Board Race

Cynthia Soliz dropped out of the District 9 runoff, leaving Pamela Mathai as the sole trustee after the two tied in the midterm election.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Elections

Warm limestone civic building with tall windows beside a large live oak, casting a long shadow across an empty plaza in late sun. — Austin ISD trustee Cynthia Soliz conceded the District 9 race to Pamela Mathai on Tuesday, ending a tied midterm runoff and avoiding an estimated $240,000 to $350,000 in election costs. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Cynthia Soliz conceded the Austin ISD District 9 board race to Pamela Mathai after the two tied in the midterm election, with 86,586 votes (42.83%) for Soliz and 86,660 (42.87%) for Mathai. Soliz cited cost as the reason for dropping out, and the district will not hold a runoff.

Why it matters

Ending the runoff avoids an estimated $240,000 to $350,000 in election costs for the district. Mathai will now serve as the next Austin ISD at-large trustee without a further vote.

The midterm tally left Soliz and Mathai separated by only 74 votes, at 42.83% and 42.87% respectively. The district's estimate of $240,000 to $350,000 for a runoff is the figure that drove Soliz's decision, though the extraction does not detail how that estimate was calculated.

The players

Pamela Mathai

Mathai is the candidate who will become the sole Austin ISD at-large trustee for District 9 after the runoff was canceled.

Cynthia Soliz

Soliz is the candidate who conceded the District 9 race after tying with Mathai in the midterm election.

Austin Independent School District

Austin ISD is the public school district that held the District 9 board election and confirmed the runoff's cancellation.

The details

Soliz announced her concession in a video posted on social media, saying she could not ask that $350,000 be spent on an election for her. The district confirmed the runoff was canceled following her concession.

Midterm elections (2026): Soliz and Mathai tied, advancing to a runoff.
November 9, 2026: Soliz dropped out and conceded to Mathai.
November 10, 2026: The district confirmed no runoff and Mathai became the sole trustee.
December: The originally scheduled runoff ballot was canceled.

Election Context

Under Texas election rules, a runoff is normally required when no candidate reaches a majority, so ending a runoff early is a departure from the standard procedure. The district's cost estimate is the factor that made that departure possible in this race.

Austin ISD District 9 voters will not cast a runoff ballot in December, and Pamela Mathai will serve as their trustee without a further vote. The cancellation also means the district will not spend the estimated $240,000 to $350,000 on a second election.

The takeaway

A runoff can be ended early when a candidate withdraws, which spares the district the cost of a second election. Readers following local school board races should check whether their district's runoff rules allow the same outcome.