Former reality TV star Farrah Abraham has abruptly ended her short-lived bid for mayor of Austin, Texas—after discovering she had the election year wrong.
Abraham, 34, spoke to TMZ on Thursday about her decision to enter the mayoral race, only to learn during the interview that Austin’s next mayoral election will take place in 2028, not 2026 as she believed.
“For some reason, the mayor election is 2026,” Abraham initially said when questioned about launching her campaign so early. “I don’t know. That’s just what the office told me.” After being corrected on-air that the election is still years away, Abraham quickly reversed course.
Her team subsequently withdrew the mayoral paperwork and refiled her candidacy instead for a seat on the Austin City Council, allowing her to remain on the ballot in 2026.
In a separate interview with local NBC affiliate KXAN, Abraham insisted she was serious about entering politics despite the confusion.
“I reached out to the city and I just was like, ‘Hey, I’m very serious about this,’” she said. “I love this city and I want to get involved and help where I live and breathe.” She added that if she could serve on the city council and be mayor at the same time, “I probably would do it.”
Abraham later addressed the switch on Instagram, posting to her Story: “Looks like I’m running for district 2026! Thank you Keep it weird.”
Originally from Nebraska, Abraham moved to Austin in 2013. She rose to fame after appearing on 16 and Pregnant in 2009, followed by four seasons of Teen Mom, which documented her early motherhood with her daughter, Sophia.
Since leaving reality television, Abraham has described herself as a life coach, comedian, and OnlyFans model. She does not appear to have any formal political experience.
When asked by KXAN about the current District 5 council member, Ryan Alter, Abraham admitted she was unfamiliar with him, though she confirmed she lives in the district.
“I just can’t wait to see what’s really going on,” she said. “We’re going to have a really good life. We’re going to have a better life in Austin.”
Abraham’s brief political detour comes amid a broader trend of reality TV figures flirting with public office, including Spencer Pratt, who recently announced a run for mayor of Los Angeles.
For now, Abraham’s mayoral ambitions are on hold—pending a calendar check.
