He is the chair of the Travis County Republican Party and co-founder of Save Austin Now, a political action committee involved in ballot initiatives on policing and homeless encampments.
[3] During the 2003 legislative session, an internship for a lobbyist led to an interview for a job in Washington D.C., where Mackowiak moved upon graduating from UT.
In April 2009, Mackowiak left his office, and in June, he launched the Potomac Strategy Group, stating that he wanted to build a business and become a political consultant.
[2] His new business provides corporate communications services, including media relations, writing, opposition research, and digital strategy.
The City Council voted to scale back rules on camping, panhandling and sitting or lying down in public[4] As tent camps popped up around Austin, SAN initiated a ballot proposition to re-criminalize lying down on public sidewalks, panhandling and sleeping outdoors in certain parts of the city.
[6] Their efforts garnered wide support, including from John Mackey; Robert Rowling of Omni Hotels & Resorts; Michael Barron, a law partner of Mayor Steve Adler; Governor Greg Abbott; writer-director Mike Judge; as well as a company led by Eddie Margain, a co-founder of Austin FC.
SAN raised an additional $1.9 million, the second highest amount in an Austin city election and succeeded in putting the proposition on the May 2021 ballot.
SAN argued that the city's growing number of homicides, officer staffing challenges and lengthening police response times justified the proposition.
Democrats voiced concerns that electing anti-tax Republican candidates, like Mackowiack, could impact school funding, parks and libraries, and the ability the city to provide services for residents.
[15] Mackowiak and the county GOP appealed to the Texas Supreme Court, who dismissed the case on the eve of the November 5th election.