The San Antonio mayoral election is picking up steam as voting will begin on May 3, 2025. With San Antonio’s current mayor, Ron Nirenberg, reaching his term limit, there will be no mayoral incumbent in this upcoming election. The last time San Antonians voted without a mayoral incumbent was in 2009. According to the UTSA Center for Public Opinion Research, not many San Antonians know the running candidates. In the September poll conducted by the CPOR, about 69.4% of San Antonians were either unaware of the candidates or did not know how they would vote.
The mayoral position is a nonpartisan job; however, some of the candidates’ political leanings might be relevant to future decisions made by the city. Potential candidates have until Feb. 14, 2025 to file as candidates, so anyone who qualifies could still enter the race. According to a CPOR poll, a few individuals stand out to voters, including Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia, Melissa Cabello Havrda, Manny Paleaz, John Courage and Beto Altamirano.
Councilwoman Garcia was appointed to represent San Antonio’s City Council for District 4 in 2019. She is among the first Hispanics to earn a Ph.D. in Advertising from the University of Texas at Austin’s Moody College of Communication. During her first term in office, she formed part of the first women-majority elected City Council. Her current council committee oversees economic and workforce development, as well as governance and community health. Garcia is also a part of the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame.
Councilwoman Havrda was appointed to represent San Antonio’s City Council for District Six in 2019. While Havrda has not officially announced her campaign, she is highly expected to. Havrda is a disability attorney who has served on numerous boards, including Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren and Transplants for Children. She has a very open stance on giving city funds for abortion travel.
Councilman Paleaz has been a part of San Antonio’s City Council for District Eight since 2017. Paleaz is a practicing lawyer representing more than 175 homeowner associations and many of the world’s largest automotive industry manufacturers, many being key employers and investors in San Antonio. Paleaz supports an expansion of the police department with the objective of economic and business growth, as well as domestic violence prevention.
Councilman Courage has been a District Nine Councilmember since 2017. He is a UTSA alum, served the San Antonio Literacy Commission and established literacy centers across San Antonio. During his tenure, Courage created the “People’s Budget,” a budgeting process that identifies and funds district projects.
Finally, of the four candidates mentioned above, Beto Altamirano is the only one who has yet to be elected to the city council. However, Altamirano served District One as a board member and vice chair for the Port Authority of San Antonio. In 2023, Altamarino co-founded the Better Futures Institute, an organization that tackles urban and social challenges in San Antonio.
