Garcia died of cervical cancer the day after Christmas, according to Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai.
SAN ANTONIO — Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai remembered Michele Garcia, the Precinct 4 justice of the peace who died of cervical cancer last week, as someone who “approached her role with grace, humility and selfless service” in a new statement.
“Judge Garcia was a devoted public servant whose life reflected integrity, compassion, and a deep commitment to her community,” Sakai’s statement went on to say. “During her tenure as Justice of the Peace, Judge Garcia left a profound impact with the community she served.”
Precinct 4 Commissioner Tommy Calvert and County Clerk Lucy Adame-Clark were among the first to share public remembrances after Garcia’s Friday death. Calvert said the flag outside the precinct’s field office in Converse would be flown at half-staff this week “in honor of her service to the people of Bexar County.”
Garcia assumed the role of justice of the peace after being election in 2022, according to Sakai’s statement. A 2002 graduate of Clemens High School who later studied at Our Lady of the Lake University, she began as a Precinct 4 intern in 2006 before later serving as a court clerk and then justice of the peace.
The county judge said one of Garcia’s final wishes “was to bring awareness to cervical cancer,” adding he would make a contribution in her honor to UT Health San Antonio’s Mays Cancer Center as well as the SLEW Cancer Wellness Center.
It’s expected a special election will be announced soon to fill the Precinct 4 justice of the peace vacancy. According to county records, Garcia had not filed to run for re-election in 2026.
Four people – Erasmo Hernandez, Veronica Michele Brooks, Anna Campos and Christopher McKnight – filed to run for the Precinct 4 justice of the peace seat in the 2026 Democratic Primary, court records show. No one had filed to run in the Republican Primary.
The position is for four years.
About cervical cancer
More than 4,300 women died from cervical cancer in the U.S. in 2024, according to the American Association for Cancer Research. It was estimated abut 13,300 would be diagnosed in 2025. The disease is caused by strains of HPV, for which vaccines are available.
Experts say early detection is the best way to get effective treatment when it counts. It’s recommended that women start getting pap tests every three years beginning at 21 years old. For those between 30 and 65 years of age, it’s recommended that women get either a Pap test every three years; a high-risk HPV test every five years; or “cotesting” with both options every five years.