What to know about San Antonio's mayoral election
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Photo illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photo: Courtesy of the City of San Antonio
Several candidates are jostling to be San Antonio's next mayor, getting a head start in an election in which most voters don't know who the candidates are.
Why it matters: The May election will mark the first time since 2009 that there hasn't been a mayoral incumbent on the ballot.
The big picture: Mayor Ron Nirenberg will reach his term limit and, as long as he finishes out his term, will be the longest-serving mayor the city has seen since Henry Cisneros in the '80s.
- He oversaw the city's first-ever affordable housing bond, the beginning of a multibillion-dollar remake of the airport and a taxpayer-funded workforce initiative.
Reality check: The race started early; the first candidate announced his campaign in January. But many voters are unfamiliar with the candidates so far, per a recent poll from the new Center for Public Opinion Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
- District 9 Councilmember John Courage, who has represented the North Side since 2017 and will reach his term limit next year, leads among mayoral options so far with more than 9% support.
- But 42.5% of the nearly 700 people polled Sept. 11-16 said they're not familiar with any candidates, and another 27% said they're not sure how they will vote.
How it works: Candidate filing for the May 3 election will open Jan. 15 and run through Feb. 14.
The mayor is a nonpartisan position, but the political leanings of elected officials and candidates are often clear.
Here's what you need to know about the nine announced candidates and two who are considering a run.
Courage: The councilmember and Air Force veteran is a longtime Democrat who is known for his ability to win in a conservative-leaning District 9.
- He often focuses on basic city infrastructure needs and has supported growing the police department and expanding affordable housing.
Manny Pelaez: The Northwest Side councilmember and attorney, who will also reach his term limit, is an outspoken official who has rankled political progressives.
- He has also supported an expanded police department and focused on economic and business growth, as well as domestic violence prevention.
- Pelaez took second place in fundraising, per campaign finance reports released in July.
Beto Altamirano: This City Hall outsider who grew up in the Rio Grande Valley is CEO and co-founder of Irys Technologies, which developed the city's 311 customer service app.
- He has said he will focus on public safety, infrastructure and economic development.
- Altamirano led candidates in recent fundraising, although his numbers included his own money.
Robert Melvin: The former chair of San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside has also worked for Texas Gov. Rick Perry's office as a small business advocate, he told the SA Business Journal.
- He plans to focus on economic development, housing, transportation and more.
Adriana Rocha Garcia: The Southwest Side councilmember was first elected in 2019. She is known as a well-researched voice on the City Council and is a marketing professor at Our Lady of the Lake University.
- She has been vocal about the lack of access to health care resources on the largely Hispanic South Side.
Tim Westley: The U.S. Army veteran and former pastor has worked as a historian for the Republican Party of Texas, per his campaign website. He supports Second Amendment gun rights and expanding the city's military involvement.
Rolando Pablos: The former Texas secretary of state, who has served as a senior adviser to Gov. Greg Abbott, is one of the more high-profile conservative-leaning candidates.
- He has said he will focus on economic growth and basic city services.
John Atwood: The tax attorney says he would focus on fighting higher taxes, reducing crime and growing the local economy, per his campaign website.
Clayton Perry: The former District 10 councilmember, who was the lone conservative on council, officially announced his mayoral campaign Friday.
- His council career was cut short after he faced charges in connection with drunken driving and a hit-and-run crash in November 2022.
- He later pleaded no contest and received a year of probation.
Melissa Cabello Havrda: While the Far West Side councilmember and attorney has not officially announced a campaign, she is widely expected to. First elected in 2019, she has straddled the divide as a pro-business official who has also advocated for more liberal priorities like using public funds for abortion travel.
- She recently led a failed push to oust city attorney Andy Segovia, saying his legal advice was inconsistent and led to scrapped policy plans.
Gina Ortiz Jones: The former Air Force intelligence officer is considering a mayoral run, sources tell the Express-News. She currently leads a pro-abortion rights political action committee and was the Democratic nominee for Texas' 23rd Congressional District in 2018 and 2020.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to add candidate Robert Melvin.