Prop A driving people to the polls, but some City Council races are worth watching out for

SAN ANTONIO — Voters in San Antonio and Bexar County have one week left in early voting. The city’s top races include Proposition A, but the Mayor and all City Council seats are up for election.

Nearly 15,000 people have voted in the first day and a half of voting in Bexar County.

Political science experts say some races are likely to gain more attention, despite what is typically a lower turnout election.

“It’s all about retail politics, getting those people that you know are going to vote, get them out to vote, and that’s a problem I think for both sides,” Jon Taylor, UTSA Chair of Political Science and Geography says the problem being that Election Day is on a Saturday.

In 2021 there was nearly 17% turnout according to the Bexar County elections website. Despite the turnout, five council districts (D1, D2, D3, D5 and D9) were forced into runoffs.

There will be at least two new faces on the dais this summer. D10 Councilman Clayton Perry announced he would not seek a fourth and final term after a pleading no contest to a DWI charge, Ana Sandoval resigned from the District 7 seat earlier this year, with political matriarch Rosie Castro serving in the interim, and some controversy surrounds District 1 incumbent Mario Bravo.

Bravo was censured and given a no-confidence vote after a verbal outburst against former Councilwoman Sandoval became public. Bravo has also faced some criticism for delays in the St. Mary’s Strip construction project. He’s facing six challengers: Jeremy Roberts, Roberto Rios Ortega, Sukh Kaur, Ernest Salinas, Lauro Bustamante and William T. Lamar-Boone.

District 2 faces a packed pool of 10 candidates, including incumbent Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Rose Hill, Edward Earl Giles, Patrick Jones, Denise McVea, James M. Guild, Michael John Good, Wendell Carson and Denise Gutierrez.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg is also seeking a fourth and final term, who Taylor believes is a “prohibitive favorite” in the race.

“With all due respect to the other candidates…[Nirenberg] won re-election in 2021 by over 60% of the vote,” Taylor said. Mayor Nirenberg has also significantly outraised money for his campaign, totaling over $420,000, according to city campaign finance reports.

Another issue that’s attracted large amounts of spending is Proposition A. The “Justice Charter” would decriminalize abortion,  marijuana possession, codify a cite-and-release policy, and require the city to hire a justice director. The San Antonio Police Officers Association and businesses are spending big to oppose the measure. Police reform group ACT 4 SA led efforts to get the measure on the ballot.

“[The police union] are drumming home that same message that Prop A is going to be bad for San Antonio, that we’re going to be a crime-ridden city…on the other side of Prop A, people are making the argument this is about justice,” Taylor adds.

Another item to review is school bond elections for Bexar County school districts including Alamo Heights ISD, Comal ISD, Medina Valley ISD.

You can check out our voter guide for more details on this election.