Why 2025 San Antonio City Council elections are pivotal
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
The mayor's race isn't the only pivotal local election this year — nearly half San Antonio's City Council will be made up of fresh faces by summer.
Why it matters: A new generation of councilmembers will help shape a range of transformative city plans, from new downtown digs for the San Antonio Missions — and potentially the Spurs — to the ongoing overhaul of San Antonio International Airport.
State of play: Four out of 10 City Council districts on the May 3 ballot will not have an incumbent, and there's at least one other competitive council race.
- The mayor serves as the 11th vote on the City Council.
Catch up quick: The next group of councilmembers will serve longer, four-year terms after voters approved increasing term length from two years.
- That gives them a longer runway to learn the ropes, test out new policy and build relationships at City Hall before campaigning again.
What they're saying: "This is the most consequential election that I have seen in my professional life," Rob Killen, an attorney who has been working with City Hall for 24 years on development cases, tells Axios.
Flashback: In 2017, San Antonio elected six new councilmembers and a new mayor. Killen saw the city's direction change as a result — for example, much of that council passed a climate action plan in 2019.
- Plus, San Antonio already elected three new councilmembers just two years ago.
How it works: Voters can only cast a ballot for a candidate running in their district. To find your City Council district, enter your address online.
What we're watching: The top races to watch will be in districts 1, 4, 6, 8 and 9.
- District 1 has an incumbent with nine challengers, the most of any incumbent. Districts 4, 6, 8 and 9 have no incumbents.
What's next: Early voting begins on Tuesday.
- If no candidate earns more than 50% of the vote in a race, there will be a runoff election on June 7.