Ballot will begin to take shape in San Antonio mayoral election
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Photo Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photo: Courtesy of the City of San Antonio
The race to be San Antonio's next mayor is officially underway beginning Wednesday, giving voters a more definitive look at their options after a year of jockeying.
Why it matters: The May 3 mayoral election will be the first in 16 years without an incumbent on the ballot.
- The new mayor will serve a four-year term, instead of two years, after voters approved a charter amendment.
The big picture: There will be a lot of fresh faces at City Hall after the election. At least four of 10 City Council seats will be open, without an incumbent on the ballot.
- District 8 Councilmember Manny Pelaez and District 9 Councilmember John Courage have reached their term limits.
- Pelaez, along with Councilmembers Adriana Rocha Garcia (District 4) and Melissa Cabello Havrda (District 6) are running for mayor.
- Courage, the first to announce his mayoral bid a year ago, has since dropped out of the race, citing health issues.
Context: Mayor Ron Nirenberg will reach his term limit and, as long as he finishes his term, will be the longest-serving mayor the city has seen since Henry Cisneros in the '80s. Nirenberg took office in 2017.
How it works: Filing opens Wednesday for a spot on the ballot. Candidates have until Feb. 14 to file.
- Among other ballot qualifications, candidates must be a registered city voter who has lived in San Antonio continuously for at least a year. For City Council, candidates are required to have lived in the district at least six months prior to filing a ballot application.
State of play: Former District 10 Councilmember Clayton Perry is also running. He did not run for reelection after he faced charges in connection with a drunken driving and hit-and-run crash in November 2022.
- He later pleaded no contest and received a year of probation, and has since said he's changed.
Other candidates in the mayoral race so far include:
- Beto Altamirano: The 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.
- Rolando Pablos: The former Texas secretary of state has served as a senior adviser to Gov. Greg Abbott.
- Gina Ortiz Jones: The former Air Force intelligence officer was the Democratic nominee for Texas' 23rd Congressional District in 2018 and 2020.
By the numbers: Around 20 people filed a campaign treasurer appointment with the city last year to raise money for the mayoral campaign.
What we're watching: The campaign finance reports for candidates are also due Wednesday.
- Those will provide a better idea of who's raising the level of money needed to run a winning mayoral campaign.
- Political consultants have said candidates need at least $400,000 to get their name in front of voters.
What's next: With so many expected mayoral candidates on the ballot, a runoff election is likely.
Worthy of your time: The Express-News compiled a list of City Council hopefuls in districts 4, 6, 8 and 9.