🗳 What to watch for in the May 6 election in San Antonio area

Get more election news, results on KSAT’s Vote 2023 page.

San Antonio voters will decide whether to re-elect Mayor Ron Nirenberg, vote in at least two new faces on the City Council, and decide on what has become the most contentious issue this cycle — Prop A — in Saturday’s joint, general, special, charter and bond election.

But, the May 6 election affects more than just San Antonio voters. Other neighboring cities have mayoral and city council races and bond issues. There are also some important school bonds to consider.

Here’s a look at the races that are expected to be the most competitive matchups.

Races to watch in San Antonio

Voters will decide the mayor’s race as well as all 10 council seats, but there are a few races that could hold some surprises.

Proposition A

San Antonio’s Proposition A would decriminalize abortion and misdemeanor marijuana possession, up to 4 ounces. It would permanently ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants and would make some existing policies permanent — like the cite-and-release program for certain misdemeanors.

It would also expand the misdemeanors included in cite-and-release to include graffiti and thefts against individuals. Graffiti damage between $750 and $2,5000 still wouldn’t be eligible if it’s on a church, school, cemetery, public monument or community center offering certain programs.

A coalition of public advocacy groups, including ACT 4 SA, gathered more than the 20,000 required signatures to get the proposed amendment on the May ballot.

Mayor’s Race

There are nine candidates vying for mayor, though none are expected to garner enough votes to unseat Ron Nirenberg, who is seeking his third 2-year term.

Nirenberg received 61% of the votes in his last race in 2021.

District 1

Incumbent Mario Bravo could be in a fight to retain his seat on the council after a tumultuous past year. Bravo was censured and received a no-confidence vote from his fellow councilmembers after berating District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval ahead of a budget vote on Sep. 15. An independent investigation found that Bravo violated city directives on equal employment opportunity/anti-harassment and violence in the workplace.

He’s facing eight opponents including Jeremy Roberts, a Texas A&M University-San Antonio professor and small business owner who was endorsed by the Express-News.

Former Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff endorsed Sukh Kaur, who owns an education consulting company and was the first to announce that he would be challenging Bravo.

District 2

Jalen-McKee-Rodriguez is hoping to be the first candidate to be re-elected in District 2 in a decade.

The former teacher and District 2 aide is facing nine opponents including several community activists.

Rose Requenez Hill is the president of the Government Hill Neighborhood Alliance, a community organizer, and co-founder and president of the D2 President’s Round Table.

Patrick Jones is a preacher who serves on the district attorney’s Citizens Review Panel. He’s also on the board of directors of The Kidney Foundation. He served six years as chairman of D2 Strong and has served in leadership roles in the Progressive Baptist State Convention.

Denise Gutierrez ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2021. This is her second run for the District 2 position. She failed to get enough votes to beat Jada Andrews-Sullivan in 2019.

District 7

Ana Sandoval resigned from City Council in January, citing growing personal obligations.

Maria del Rosario “Rosie” Castro, civil rights activist and the mother of prominent Democratic politicians, Julian Castro, a former San Antonio mayor and cabinet member of the Obama administration, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, was appointed to finish the last three months of Sandoval’s council term. But she’s not running in this election.

Candidates include Marina Alderete Gavito, who served on several boards including VIA, Bexar County Child Welfare and UTSA College of Engineering. The former Rackspace and USAA employee is a graduate of St. Mary’s University.

Dan Rossiter is on the board of directors for the Brooks Development Authority and was appointed to the 2022-27 Streets, Bridges, and Sidewalks Community Bond Committee by District 6 Councilmember Melissa Cabello Havrda.

Sandragrace Martinez is a licensed professional counselor, who won the Democratic nomination for land commissioner in 2022 but lost in the General Election.

Jacob B. Chapa and Andrew “AJ” Luck are also on the ballot.

District 10

District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry did not seek re-election after his high-profile DWI arrest.

Marc Whyte is considered the frontrunner in this race. The small business owner was endorsed by the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association and the San Antonio Police Officers Association.

Bryan R. Martin is the executive director of Bike San Antonio and is endorsed by San Antonio AFL-CIO.

Robert Flores is on the board of the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce and has worked as a governmental affairs representative.

Madison Gutierrez, Margaret Sherwood, Rick Otley and Joel Solis are also on the ballot.

Races in Other municipalities

Voters in municipalities other than San Antonio also have races to consider.

Boerne Mayor

With current mayor Tim Handren not seeking re-election, though his name will appear on the ballot because he withdrew after the deadline. Boerne residents will need to choose a new leader during a time of major growth in the city.

Nina Woolard is the current District 2 Councilwoman, a position she’s held since 2011.

Frank Ritchie is a mechanic who owns an auto repair shop in Boerne. He has said he wants to manage the growth of the city and is getting some grassroots support.

New Braunfels Mayor

The city’s current mayor, Rusty Brockman did not file for re-election.

Four candidates did file — George Green, a former city councilman and longtime teacher in the community; Army veteran Michael French; Neal Linnartz, an attorney who has served on the board of several local businesses and associations; and Edward Martinez, Jr.

New Braunfels Bond

Not only will New Braunfels residents be choosing a new mayor, they’ll also vote on a $140 million bond package aimed largely at accommodating the city’s rapid growth.

The bond is split into three propositions:

• Proposition A – $99.3M for Transportation
• Proposition B – $12.2M for Mission Hill Park
• Proposition C – $28.6M for a Southeast Side library branch

School Districts

Related: How are school bond projects paid for? KSAT Explains

Alamo Heights

The $371 million bond referendum will appear as three separate propositions on the ballot.

• Proposition A includes updates and renovations to all campuses, technology infrastructure improvements, safety and security, and new school buses. The bond would also pay for a new Howard Early Childhood Center building, a new Central Office/Learning Center, and a softball field in addition to parking and traffic flow improvements.
• Proposition B would fund the creation of extracurricular team and meeting spaces for AH students and community members underneath a rebuilt visitor bleacher at Orem Stadium. The improvements would include additional parking and dedicated training facilities for the first time for the AH golf team, as well as new restrooms, concessions, locker rooms, and student Sports Media program equipment.
• Proposition C would fund technology including student and staff devices.

Comal ISD

The bond referendum will appear as three separate propositions.

• Proposition A – $560,564,863. This prop would build three new elementary schools and a middle school to provide relief to the fast-growing district. Proposition A would also fund a new Life Bridges campus, a program designed to educate young adults with disabilities to increase independence in family and community settings. More than $17 million of the proposition would fund safety and security projects throughout the district.
• Proposition B – $46,094,984. This proposition is focused on stadium safety improvements at Canyon Lake High School and a bleacher expansion and fieldhouse at Davenport High School.
• Proposition C – $28,000,000. Proposition C would fund the purchase of student learning devices, classroom audiovisual equipment, Wi-Fi expansion, and Wide Area Network (WAN) infrastructure across the district.

Southwest ISD

Voters in the Southwest Independent School District are considering a pair of bond packages worth nearly as much as the district’s last three combined.

The two bond propositions on the May 6 ballot total $250 million and would include money for the following:

• Safety upgrades to all of its campuses
• New schools and additions to cope with an expected flood of new students
• Renovations to other campuses
• A high school athletic stadium
• The purchase of air-conditioned buses
• A combined professional development, student center, and central offices building

SWISD’s election is not being handled by Bexar County so voters must go specifically to one of the district’s polling locations to vote on either the bond or the at-large board positions.

Medina Valley ISD

A year after voters soundly rejected a nearly $400 million bond package, Medina Valley ISD is again asking voters to pass a bond to help the school district keep up with exploding enrollment.

The district’s school board has placed a $376 million bond on the May 6 ballot to pay for:

• New High School – $323M
• Land Purchases – $30M
• Agricultural & JROTC Facility at Medina Valley HS – $14M
• Safety & Security Enhancements – $5M
• Traffic Improvements – $4M

See the full sample ballot at the bottom of this article.

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Municipalities

San Antonio

Mayor

• Ray Adam Basaldua
• Christopher T. Schuchardt
• Christopher Longoria
• Ron Nirenberg
• Michael Idrogo
• Armando Dominguez
• Gary Allen
• Michael Samaniego
• Diana Flores Uriegas

Council District 1

• Jeremy Roberts
• Roberto Rios Ortega
• Ernest Salinas
• James Matthew Duerr
• Lauro Bustamante
• Mario Bravo
• Kaitlyn Fulk
• William T. Lamar-Boone

Council District 2

• Rose Requenez Hill
• Edward Earl Giles
• Patrick Jones
• Carla Walker
• Jalen McKee-Rodriguez
• Denise McVea
• James M. Guild
• Michael John Good
• Wendell Carson
• Denise Gutierrez

Council District 3

• Jayden Muñoz
• Phyllis Viagran
• Erin Gallegos Reid
• Larry La Rose

Council District 4

• Adriana Rocha Garcia
• Gregorio De La Paz

Council District 5

• Arturo Espinosa
• Teri Castillo
• Rudy Lopez

Council District 6

• Irina Rudolph
• Melissa Cabello Havrda
• Chris Baecker

Council District 7

• Sandragrace Martinez
• Jacob B. Chapa
• Dan Rossiter
• Marina Alderete Gavito
• Andrew “AJ” Luck

Council District 8

• Manny Pelaez
• Cesario Garcia

Council District 9

• Jarrett Lipman
• David Allan Lara
• John Courage
• Dominique Liu

Council District 10

• Madison Gutierrez
• Robert Flores
• Margaret Sherwood
• Rick Otley
• Bryan R. Martin
• Marc Whyte
• Joel Solis

Proposition A

“Shall the city charter be amended to include a justice policy under which the city of San Antonio will “use its available resources and authority to accomplish three goals of paramount importance: first, to reduce the city’s contribution to mass incarceration; second, to mitigate racially discriminatory law enforcement practices; and third, to save scarce public resources for greater public needs” and to “reduce unnecessary arrests and save scarce public resources through a comprehensive set of reforms”, including: ending enforcement of low-level marijuana possession by prohibiting police officers from issuing citations or make arrests for class a or class b misdemeanor possession of marijuana offenses, except in limited circumstances; prohibiting the enforcement of abortion crimes to promote the reproductive health, safety, and privacy of all city residents and stating that police officers shall not investigate, make arrests, or otherwise enforce any alleged criminal abortion, except in limited circumstances; banning no-knock warrants by stating that police officers shall not obtain a “no-knock” search warrant, nor shall they participate in serving a ” noknock” search warrant with other law enforcement agencies and creating additional policies concerning the issuing of warrants; banning chokeholds with no exceptions; requiring police officers to issue citations instead of making arrests for low-level nonviolent crimes defined as possession of controlled substance less than 4 oz, penalty group 2-a (synthetic cannabinoids), class a or b misdemeanor under Texas health and safety code §§ 481.1161(b) (1) & (2), driving while license invalid, class a or b misdemeanor under Texas transportation code § 521.457, theft of property less than $750, class b misdemeanor under Texas penal code § 31.03(e) (2) (a), theft of service less than $750, class b misdemeanor under Texas penal code § 31.04(e) (2), contraband in a correctional facility, class b misdemeanor under Texas penal code § 38.114(c), graffiti, with damage less than $2500, class a or b misdemeanor under Texas penal code § 28.08(b) (2) & (3), criminal mischief with damage less than $750, class b misdemeanor under Texas penal code § 28.03(b) (2), and all class c misdemeanors, except class c public intoxication, which shall be addressed in accordance with Texas code of criminal procedure section 14.031; and requiring the San Antonio city council to appoint and provide resources to a justice director, with no previous experience in law enforcement, who will be charged with fulfilling the justice policy by providing a justice impact statement before any city council vote affecting the justice policy and meeting quarterly with community stakeholders to discuss the development of policies, procedures and practices related to the justice policy in open meetings?”

Alamo Heights

Councilmember, Place No. 2

• Karl P. Baker
• Sarah Reveley

Councilmember, Place No. 1

• Lawson Jessee

Mayor

• Bobby Rosenthal

Balcones Heights

Proposition A

“Whether the city of Balcones Heights crime control and prevention district should be continued for 20 years and the crime control and prevention district sales and use tax should be continued for 20 years.”

Council, Place No. 3

• Juan Manuel Lecea, Jr
• Council, Place No. 4
• Mark Saenz
• Council, Place No. 5
• Miguel C. Valverde

Castle Hills

Alderman, Place No. 2

• Robert Wynn
• Denise Haley
• JR Trevino
• Alderman, Place No. 3

China Grove

Alderman (Vote for none, one, two or three)

• Mark Dubay
• Frank Bennett
• Larry Keller
• Margie Holisky
• David Johnson

Mayor

• Mary Ann Hajek

Grey Forest

Councilmember, Place No. 1

• Holly Holleway
• Michael S. Phillips

Councilmember, Place No. 3

• Kimberly Verity

Councilmember, Place No. 5

• Andy Jackson
• Sean Skaggs

Helotes

Mayor

• Rich Whitehead
• Tom Schoolcraft

Council, Place No. 3

Council, Place No. 1

• Chester Drash

Council, Place No. 3

• Shea Johnson
• Dale Randol

Council, Place No. 5

• Glenna Pearce

Hollywood Park

Council, Place No. 1

• Chester Drash

Council, Place No. 3

• Shea Johnson
• Dale Randol

Council, Place No. 5

• Glenna Pearce

Kirby

Mayor

• Janeshia A. Grider
• Christopher “Chris” Garza

Council Member (Vote for none, one, two or three)

• Maria D. Lozano
• Jessica Zapata Bogardus
• Debbie Walczyk
• Sally J. Hitt
• Susan Street
• Joe Molina

Proposition A

“The reauthorization of the local sales and use tax in the city of Kirby, Texas at the rate of one-fourth of one percent to continue providing revenue for maintenance and repair of municipal streets. The tax expires on the fourth anniversary of the date of this election unless the imposition of the tax is reauthorized.”

Leon Valley

Council, Place No. 1

• Drew Power
• Benny Martinez

Council, Place No. 3

• Philip Campos
• Danielle Carriere Bolton

Council, Place No. 5

• Will Bradshaw

Proposition A

“Whether the city of leon valley crime control and prevention district should be continued for five (5) years and the crime control and prevention district sales tax should be continued for five (5) years.”

Proposition B

“The reauthorization of the local sales and use tax in the city of leon valley, tx at the rate of one-quarter (1/4) of one percent (0.0025000) to continue providing revenue for maintenance and repair of municipal streets. The tax expires on the fourth anniversary of the date of this election unless the imposition of the tax is reauthorized.”

Live Oak

Council, Place No. 1

• Mendell Morgan
• Angela Green
• LaTonya Green

Council, Place No. 3

• Erin Perez

Council, Place No. 5

• Aaron Dahl

St Hedwig

Council, Place No. 1

• Kirstin Butterworth
• Dwayne Padalecki

Council, Place No. 3

• Connor A. Fillingim
• Caid Franckowiak

Council, Place No. 5

• John E. Hafner

City of Universal City

City Council (Vote for none, one, two or three)

• Ashton Bulman
• Christina Fitzpatrick
• Bernard Rubal
• Richard (Dick) Neville
• S. Bear Goolsby
• Richard Edwards

City of Von Ormy

Mayor

• Alex Quintanilla
• Casey Homer

Commissioner Place No. 1

• Sammy Martinez

Commissioner Place No. 2

• Ramon Guzman Jr

School Districts

Alamo Heights ISD

Proposition A

“The issuance of $344,000,000 of bonds by the alamo heights independent school district for school facilities, the purchase of the necessary sites for school facilities, and the purchase of new school buses and the levying of a tax in payment thereof and the cost of any credit agreements. This is a property tax increase.”

Proposition B

“The issuance of $17,300,000 of bonds by the alamo heights independent school district for the High School stadium, with priority given to the visitor’s locker room and bleachers and the levying of a tax in payment thereof and the cost of any credit agreements. This is a property tax increase.”

Proposition C

“The issuance of $9,700,000 of bonds by the alamo heights independent school district for instructional technology and the levying of a tax in payment thereof and the cost of any credit agreements. This is a property tax increase.”

Trustee, Place No. 3

• Ty Edwards

Trustee, Place No. 4

• Stacy Sharp

Comal ISD

Proposition A

“The issuance of an amount not to exceed $560,564,863 school building bonds for the construction, renovation, acquisition, and equipment of school buildings in the district consisting of three new elementary schools, one new Middle School, life bridges facility, campus safety and security, campus infrastructure projects, facilities to support student programs at Canyon High School, Canyon Middle School, Canyon Lake High School, Davenport High School, Mountain Valley Middle School, and Smithson Valley High School, the purchase of the necessary sites for school buildings, and the purchase of new school buses, and the levying and imposition of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and the costs of any credit agreements. This is a property tax increase.”

Proposition B

“The issuance of an amount not to exceed $46,094,984 school bonds for the construction, renovation, acquisition, and equipment of stadiums with seating capacity of more than 1,000 spectators consisting of bleacher replacement and related infrastructure at Canyon Lake High School; and bleacher expansion and fieldhouse at Davenport High School, and the levying and imposition of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and the costs of any credit agreements. This is a property tax increase.”

Proposition C

“The issuance of an amount not to exceed $28,000,000 school bonds for the acquisition of technology equipment consisting of teacher and student instructional technology to be used in the classroom and network infrastructure, and the levying and imposition of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds and the costs of any credit agreements. This is a property tax increase.”

Harlandale ISD

Trustee, District No. 5

• Elaine Anaya-Ortiz
• Guillermo Altamirano

Trustee, District No. 6

• Rebecca “Becky” Ruiz
• Elizabeth F. Limon

Trustee, District No. 7

• Jesse Jay Alaniz
• Ricardo Moreno

Judson Independent School District

Trustee, District No. 6, At-Large

• Renée Paschall
• Laura Stanford

Trustee, District No. 7, At-Large

• Monica Ryan
• Rafael Diaz

Trustee, District No. 7, At-Large

• Monica Ryan
• Rafael Diaz

Trustee, Single Member District No. 1

• Suzanne Kenoyer

Medina Valley ISD

Board Member, Single Member District No. 5

• Frank Wolfe
• Jason R. Bonney

Board Member, At-Large (Vote for none, one, or two)

• Paula Davidson
• Jennifer M. Alamos
• Donnitta Seay
• Blane Nash
• Nathan Fillinger
• Wayne Rodgers

Proposition A

“The issuance of $376,000,000 of bonds by the Medina Valley Independent School District for school facilities and land (including safety and security, a new high school, a new rotc/ag building at the existing high school, and traffic-flow improvements) and the levying of a tax in payment thereof. This is a property tax increase.”

Northside Independent School District

Trustee, District No. 1

• David Salcido
• Amy Hoffmann

Trustee, District No. 2

• Manuel Garcia
• Gerald Lopez
• Mary Olison

Trustee, District No. 3

• Karla Duran
• Vera T. Billingsley
• Ty Chumbley

Trustee, District No. 4

• George M. Ayala
• Kimberly S. Jones
• Mathews Ninan
• Bobby Blount
• Jordan Jo Wagner
• Gabriel Lara
• Raul Davila

San Antonio Independent School District

Trustee, District No. 2

• Mateen A. Diop
• Alicia M. Sebastian

Trustee, District No. 5

• Stephanie Torres
• Norberto “Geremy” Landin

Trustee, District No. 6

• Christina Martinez
• Valerie Avila

View the full sample ballot below:

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