Your guide to the crowded Bexar County DA primary
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Eight Democrats are vying to replace retiring Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales in a crowded March 3 primary.
Why it matters: The next district attorney could either preserve a progressive approach to criminal justice or bring the office into closer alignment with Texas conservatives.
Context: Gonzales was first elected in 2018. He's known as a progressive who implemented a cite-and-release program that law enforcement uses to issue citations, rather than make arrests, for certain non-violent and low-level offenses.
How it works: As the county's top prosecutor, the district attorney has the freedom to decide what cases to pursue and prioritize and can help shape the local criminal justice system.
State of play: Early voting for the March 3 Democratic primary begins Tuesday and runs through Feb. 27. The race will likely advance to a May 26 runoff.
- Ashley Foster, a former assistant district attorney, is the sole Republican running.
Here are the eight Democrats running:
Luz Elena Chapa: A judge who spent 12 years on the Fourth Court of Appeals, where she wrote more than 1,400 opinions, including hundreds in criminal cases.
Oscar Salinas: A Bexar County prosecutor with more than a decade of courtroom experience.
Jane Davis: The chief of the juvenile division in the Bexar County District Attorney's Office since 2019, with 40 years of experience as a prosecutor.
Meli Carrión Powers: The chief of the family violence division in the district attorney's office with more than 20 years of prosecutorial experience, including handling violent and complex felony cases.
Veronica Legarreta: A magistrate judge who founded a law firm focused on criminal defense and family law. She has experience prosecuting misdemeanor and felony cases.
Shannon Locke: A criminal defense attorney with more than two decades of experience who has tried more than 200 jury trials.
Meredith Chacon: A former Bexar County prosecutor who spent more than a decade in the district attorney's office and now runs a private practice with other former prosecutors. She ran for district attorney as a Republican in 2022.
James Bethke: The executive director of Bexar County's Managed Assigned Counsel Office, who has served as a prosecutor, judge and law professor.