Fourteen San Antonio residents filed for mayor and another 66 filed for the 10 city council positions.This is 20% more than the number who filed in 2015. Much of the increase can be attributed to four open seats, all of which attracted at least six candidates. The number of mayoral candidates is the same as in 2015. A majority of the candidates appear to be making their first run for public office, at least as far as we can tell.
Today (Friday) was the last day to file for a place on the May 6 uniform election ballot in most jurisdictions, including San Antonio. Filed candidates who wish to withdraw from the ballot must do so by next Friday in most jurisdictions.
Below we take a look at the candidates, concentrating on their prior service to city of San Antonio boards and commissions and past campaigns.
Mayor
Ivy Taylor (incumbent)
Mama Bexar (Julie Oldham), political activist. Ran unsuccessfully for mayor as Mama Bexar in 2015, receiving 103 votes to finish 12th out of 14 candidates. Received 3% of the vote in 2007 and 0.5% of the vote in 2009 races for mayor as Julie Oldham.
Antonio Diaz, independent contractor. Ran unsuccessfully as a Green Party candidate for CD21 twice (2014, 2016) and CD20 once (2012). He also ran unsuccessfully for San Antonio council D2 in 2015, placing third out of three candidates with 15% of the vote, and 2013 (4%).
Felicio Hernandez Flores II, home improvement. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Michael “Commander” Idrogo, perennial candidate making ninth consecutive run for mayor since 2001. Ran unsuccessfully for CD20 as a Libertarian in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. In 2014, he run but failed to win the Libertarian nomination for CD20.
Stephen Lucke, gardener. Appears to be making first run for public office. His application did not indicate how long Lucke has lived in San Antonio.
Napoleon Madrid, retiree. Received 188 votes in 2009 race for mayor, finishing last out of nine candidates.
Will McLeod, security. Received 7% of the vote in 2011 race for mayor, finishing second out of five candidates.
Manuel Medina, Bexar Co. Democratic Party chair
Ron Nirenberg, San Antonio council member
Gerald Ponce, consultant. Received 97 votes in the 2015 mayoral election, placing 13th out of 14 candidates. Ran unsuccessfully for Bexar Co. Judge in 2014 and Bexar Co. Tax Assessor-Collector in 2012 (7%).
Keven Roles, paramedic. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Rhett Smith, perennial candidate making sixth race for mayor since 2005. Ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate, three congressional seats, governor, Bexar Co. Judge and board trustee for the San Antonio River Authority under multiple partisan banners.
John Velasquez, clinical psychologist. Appears to be making first run for public office.
District 1
Roberto Treviño (incumbent)
Lauro Bustamante, attorney. Perennial candidate who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for the 438th Judicial District in 2016, receiving 41% of the vote, and in 2012 (36%). Received the Democratic nomination for the 224th Judicial District in 2014 but lost the general election. Ran unsuccessfully for the 4th Court of Appeals in 2006, the 57th Judicial District in 2008 Ran unsuccessfully for CD28 in 1998 and in a 1997 special election.
Robert Feria, community and labor organizer. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Adrian Flores, consultant and landlord. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Michael Montaño, attorney. Application indicates he has lived in the district for seven months and in Texas for just over a year. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Ross Treviño, association manager. Appears to be making first run for public office.
District 2
Alan Warrick II (incumbent)
Don Brown, office manager. Appears to be making first run for public office.
William “Cruz” Shaw, attorney and former member of the city zoning commission. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Keith Toney, school liaison officer and former council member. He was appointed to succeed Ivy Taylor in 2014 but lost the ensuing special runoff election to Warrick, 59%-41%, and a 2015 race for the seat (23%).
Filed candidate Gerald Scott has withdrawn.
District 3
Rebecca Viagran (incumbent)
Nathan Carrizales, student. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Sylvia Don, Democratic party activist. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Jerome Durham, non-profit manager. Application indicates he has lived in the district for seven months. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Ralph Gerber, self-employed. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Jessica Guerrero, cultural worker. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Ismael Reyes, retiree and Democratic activist. Currently serving as a Bexar Co. Democratic precinct chair and otherwise appears to be making first run for public office.
District 4
Rey Saldana (incumbent)
Johnny Arredondo, retiree. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Rey Guevara, youth minister. Appears to be making first run for public office.
District 5
Shirley Gonzales (incumbent)
Cynthia Cavazos, social services. Received 201 votes for mayor in 2015, placing 9th out of 14 candidates.
Daniel Lopez, business owner and likely former member of the Hemisfair Board and former D5 appointee to the San Antonio Local Development Company. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Richard Montez, human resources. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Dolores Sotomayor, office coordinator. Likely a member of the Prospect Hill Neighborhood Association making first run for public office.
David Yanez, attorney and former staffer of Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio). Appears to be making first run for public office.
District 6 open
Ropal Anderson, data analyst. The 20-year-old appears to be making his first run for public office.
Greg Brockhouse, business and political consultant. Challenged incumbent Ray Lopez in 2013, receiving 38% of the vote to finish second out of four candidates.
Robert Castaneda, payroll analyst. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Joseph Cortez, consultant, former aide to Lopez and brother of Rep. Philip Cortez (D-San Antonio). Appears to be making first run for public office. Lopez was by his side when he filed for the seat.
Eric Gosset, recent college graduate. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Melissa Cabello Havrda, attorney. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Don Page, retiree. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Ricardo “Rick” Treviño, educator and national convention delegate for the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Incumbent Ray Lopez is term-limited.
District 7
Cris Medina (incumbent)
Alfredo Colunga, retiree. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Michele Dalbis-Robledo, former council aide and president of the Braun Station East Community Improvement Assoc. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Marco Reyes, educator. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Ana Sandoval, environmental health consultant and Medina’s appointee to the city’s Neighborhood Improvements bond committee. Appears to be making first run for public office.
District 8 open
Cynthia Brehm, retiree. Ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2015, receiving less than 2% of the vote and finishing 6th out of 14 candidates.
Shane Hinze, student. Appears to be making his first run for public office.
Paul Martin, investment advisor. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Manny Pelaez, attorney and former board member of San Antonio Water Systems. Appears to be making his first run for public office.
Pat Stout, businesswoman and former chair of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Appears to be making her first run for public office.
Tony Valdivia, financial analyst. Ran for president in 2016 as a write-in, receiving 428 votes statewide (15 in Bexar Co.).
Incumbent Ron Nirenberg is running for mayor.
District 9 open
Marco Barros, CEO of the San Antonio Area Tourism Council. Appears to be making first run for public office. Barros has been endorsed by incumbent Joe Krier, who is not seeking re-election.
Bert Cecconi, retired military and dentist. Ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2015, receiving 4% of the vote to finish last out of five candidates, and in a 2014 special election (3%). Ran unsuccessfully for the D8 seat in 2007 (11%) and lost the runoff in 2003 by 50 votes to Art Hall.
David “Doc” Cohen, physician and retired Army colonel. Appears to be making first run for public office.
John Courage, educator. Ran unsuccessfully for SD25 in 2012 and CD21 in 2002 and 2006.
Patty Gibbons, businesswoman and D9 appointee to the San Antonio Housing Trust. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Adam Goodman, managing partner. Ran unsuccessfully for D8 in 2015, receiving 4% of the vote.
Sandra Martinez-Deyarmond, mental health clinician. Application indicates she has lived in the district for seven months. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Matt Piña, sales. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Patrick Von Dohlen, financial business owner and chair of the San Antonio Family Assoc. Appears to be making his first run for public office. Patrick Van Dohlen was profiled by Empower Texans in September as part of its “Profiles in Citizen Leadership” series. He is the son of former Rep. Tim Von Dohlen (D-Goliad)
Lynlie Wallace, chief of staff to Rep. Lyle Larson (R-San Antonio). Appears to be making her first run for public office.
Incumbent Joe Krier is not seeking re-election.
District 10 open
John Alvarez, therapist and D10 appointee to the SA2020 Commission on Strengthening Family Well-being. Appears to be making his first run for public office.
Jonathan Delmer, firearms businessman and president of Oak Park/Northwood Neighborhood Assoc. Appears to be making his first run for public office.
Ezra Johnson, attorney. Appears to be making his first run for public office.
Lon Jett IV, retired military. Appears to be making his first run for public office.
Diana Kenny, school psychologist. Appears to be her first run for public office.
Reinette King, real estate investor and D10 appointee to the city’s Zoning Commission. Ran unsuccessfully for the 2014 Republican nomination for county commissioner, receiving 22% of the vote.
Celeste Montez-Tidwell, health care attendant. Ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2015, receiving 19% of the vote, and in 2013 (12%).
Eric Robert Morse, producer. Appears to be making first run for public office.
Andrew Padilla, retired chef. Appears to be making his first run for public office.
Clayton Perry, retired engineer. Appears to be making his first run for public office.
Incumbent Mike Gallagher is not seeking re-election.
We’ll take a similar look at some of the other larger cities’ slates of candidates in the coming weeks.
©2017 Texas Election Source LLC
