Affiliations, Community Service, and Distinctions

• Best of Austin Award (9 times), Austin Chronicle
• Deputy Voter Registrar, Travis County (2004-Present)
• Austin Charter Review Commission (2017-Present)
• Suburban Voters Project, Director (2016-2017)
• Austin Progressive Coalition, Treasurer (2010-2017)
• Texas Democratic Party State Convention Delegate (2004-2016)
• Distinguished Service Award City of Austin (2012)
• Austin Comprehensive Plan Task Force, City of Austin (2009-2012)
• DNC National Credentials Committee Member (2012)
• TexBlog PAC Co-Director (2007-2010)
• Top 10 Most Influential Democrats in Texas, Texas Influencers (2010)
• Steering Committee Member, Democracy for Texas (2005-2010)
• Bike Theft Task Force, City of Austin (2009)
• DNC National Convention Credentialed Media (2008)
• Graduate of the University of Texas, Government Major (2006)
• DNC National Convention Delegate (2004)
• Fellow, LBJ School of Public Affairs (2004-2005)
• Young Texan of the Year, Optimists International (2004)
• Graduate of Fredericksburg High School (2003)
• Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International (2001)
• Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America (2000)

   

Born in the Texas Hill Country, KT Musselman was raised with public service and concern for others as core values. His father, a High School history teacher, served on the Fredericksburg City Council and then as Mayor. His mother, a writer and community activist, has fought for those less fortunate for years, aiding nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, and PAWS. KT’s parents encouraged his curiosity and exploration in the wider world with summer trips to space camps and travel abroad, as well as involvement in Boy Scouts and Rotary.

KT’s dreams came back to earth with the 2000 election and ensuing legal battle, sparking a lifelong interest in politics and grassroots activism. He experienced his first real snow in 2003 canvassing door to door for Howard Dean in Iowa and New Hampshire. Later that year KT was elected the youngest delegate from Texas to the Democratic National Convention. He then served on the steering committee for Democracy for Texas, a statewide organization dedicated to promoting and electing progressive candidates and causes.

A proud Longhorn, KT completed a degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006. While an undergraduate, he was instrumental in the founding and growth of the progressive blog Burnt Orange Report. As publisher, KT led BOR to win nine Best of Austin Awards for hard-hitting reporting and holding those in power accountable. KT was active in Student Government and the University Democrats, finding a community of people-power driven organizers there, who today, continue to affect change in their communities. Among other progressive victories, UDems helped elected Rep. Donna Howard by a margin of fewer than 10 votes. KT also spearheaded the opposition on campus to the Texas Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment, collecting 5,000 pledge cards and increasing turnout 1000 percent at a rate of 90 percent opposed.

After college, KT went to work as one of the original employees of ActBlue, which democratized fundraising and has helped grassroots donors raise over $1 Billion for Democratic candidates and causes in the past decade. KT returned to Texas in 2007 after being called home to help work on the Rick Noriega for U.S. Senate campaign and to manage the re-election of State Rep. Mark Strama. He was responsible for instructing nearly 50 young people on the ins and outs of organizing as part of the Strama Campaign Academy as a way to give back and prepare the next generation of leaders.

Over the years, KT has worked on campaigns from the U.S. Senate to Constable, as well as passing local bonds to improve healthcare, transit, and education in Austin, Travis County, and other Central Texas jurisdictions. Most recently, he helped elect Jimmy Flannigan to the Austin City Council and Terry Cook as Williamson County Commissioner. KT brings a mindset to his political work that by listening, organizing, and changing the nature of the electorate, we can elect public servants who will fight for all of their constituents, not just the privileged or vocal few. He has also worked for county elected officials and officeholders and knows that making our government more proactive and responsive to the needs of the community is paramount.

KT is a respected leader in the progressive community, having been awarded the Best of Austin Award from the Austin Chronicle nine times for his work with Burnt Orange Report, as well as being named one of the “Top 10 Most Influential Democrats in Texas” by Texas Influencers. He has served our community by sitting on the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan Task Force and currently the 2018 Austin Charter Review Commission. An Eagle Scout and Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow, KT lives in Northwest Austin with his two cats Loki and Luna. Though politics is his passion, in his downtime KT enjoys hiking, trains and transit systems, and experiencing local food, music, and culture.