Mario Bravo out as voters elect Sukh Kaur to San Antonio City Council
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Voters ousted one-term incumbent Mario Bravo and chose political newcomer Sukh Kaur to represent District 1 on the San Antonio City Council.
- They also picked Marina Alderete Gavito over Dan Rossiter to represent the open District 7 seat.
Driving the news: Results from Saturday's runoff election show Kaur won 59% of the vote to Bravo's 41% in District 1.
- Gavito captured 62% of the District 7 vote compared to Rossiter's 38%.
Why it matters: Bravo was the only San Antonio City Council incumbent to run for re-election and lose this cycle. Three new faces will join the City Council for the next two years.
Catch up fast: Bravo's colleagues dealt him a vote of no confidence and a censure in November, following a report that he violated workplace violence policy. In September, he was overheard publicly berating then-Councilmember Ana Sandoval, his former romantic partner, over a budget disagreement.
- Kaur owns her own education consulting company. She was the first person to announce a campaign against Bravo, jumping into the race in October and calling for change.
What they're saying: Bravo said the vote of no confidence and censure led to his defeat. "I think it had everything to do with it," he told the San Antonio Report. He also didn't rule out running for office in the future.
- "Now the hard work begins," Kaur said Saturday night, per the Express-News. "Hard work is what our District 1 deserves, and hard work is what they will get."
The big picture: Bravo faced challenges other than the censure vote in his re-election campaign. Business owners criticized him for his handling of prolonged road construction on the St. Mary's Strip that chipped into their profits.
- Some St. Mary's Strip business owners supported Kaur in an advertisement before the runoff.
- Kaur plans to hire a new person in the District 1 office to focus solely on communicating with the community about construction, she told Axios.
Yes, but: Many neighborhood association leaders backed Bravo. A recent campaign mailer had touted his support from over 50 neighborhood leaders.
Between the lines: The new City Council is expected to be less progressive as newcomers fill the District 1 and District 7 seats. Progressive councilmembers Jalen McKee-Rodriguez of District 2 and Teri Castillo of District 5 often voted with Bravo and District 7 Councilmember Sandoval before she resigned in January.
Flashback: Bravo ousted three-term incumbent Roberto Treviño to capture the District 1 seat in 2021, after having lost a 2018 bid for the Bexar County Commissioners Court.
Of note: Kaur is the first person of South Asian descent elected to the San Antonio City Council, per the San Antonio Report.
- The City Council will once again hold a female majority, 6-5, with two more women headed to City Hall after Saturday's election.
