Among the local policies on the Nov. 5 ballot, one measure was the proposal to change the term limits for City Council members from two and four years to a new system. The goal of this change is to provide council members with more time to familiarize themselves with city matters before having to run for re-election.
This new policy will be tested in the upcoming municipal election on May 3, when Bexar County voters will elect new council members.
The 10-member council is expected to undergo significant changes in the coming year, as two long-serving members will be terming out, and at least two others have announced their intention to leave their positions to run for mayor.
The race to replace District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez and District 9 Councilman John Courage is already underway, as both have launched their mayoral campaigns earlier this year.
One key aspect of the new policy is how the revised term limits might affect candidates who are already nearing the maximum number of years they can serve. Under the new rules, council members are still limited to eight years in office, but some may hit that limit mid-term.
District 4 councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia and District 6 council womanMelissa Cabello Havrda will be among the first to face this issue. Garcia has officially launched her campaign while Havrda has hinted she plans to run for mayor instead of serving another term in 2025.
Under the new policy, incumbents who are term-limited could face challengers who are eligible to serve a full, four-year term. This dynamic will likely shape the election races, which were part of the council’s strategy when deciding to put the term limit policy on the ballot.
In 2029, Council members Sukh Kaur of District 1, Marina Alderete Gavito of District 7 and Marc Whyte of District 10 could face a similar dilemma. Each will have two years remaining on their eligibility after the next election, raising the question of whether to run for a shortened final term.
Though candidate filing does not open until Jan. 16, 2025, over 30 campaign treasurer reports have already been filed, allowing candidates to begin fundraising for their campaigns.
Two candidates with political experience have filed reports to run for the open seat in District 4, following Rocha Garcia’s expected departure. Edward Mungia, Rocha Garcia’s director of special projects, is challenging his former boss for the seat. Also running is South San Antonio ISD Trustee Ernesto Arrellano Jr., who previously campaigned for the Democratic nomination in Bexar County Precinct 1 earlier this year.
While District 6 councilwoman Cabello Havrda has not yet launched a mayoral campaign, three candidates have shown interest in running for her seat. Lawson Alaniz-Picasso, a former District 1 staffer who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in Bexar County Precinct 1, and Northside ISD Trustee Homer Guevara have both filed treasurer’s reports. Additionally, Ric Galvan, director of special projects for City Council District 5, along with Vanessa Chavez and Carlos Antonio Raymond, have all filed treasurer’s reports for District 6.
In District 8, the race to replace Pelaez has already begun. Three candidates are vying for the seat, with Ivalis Meza Gonzalez, a former chief of staff for current mayor Ron Nirenberg, launching her campaign earlier this month. Sakib Shaikh, a realtor and small business owner, has also started his campaign and Attorney Paula McGee, who has confirmed her candidacy, has named her former councilman, Reed Williams, as her treasurer.
Misty Spears, currently serving as Precinct 3’s Commissioner Grant Moody’s constituent service director, has launched her campaign for the District 9 seat. Spears was also the Republican nominee for Bexar County Clerk in 2022. Angi Taylor-Aramburu, the Democratic nominee for State House District 112 in 2022, began her campaign in May.
The final candidates in the District 9 race are Valerie Moczygemba and Emily Garza, both of whom have filed treasurer reports.
In District 1, Kaur, who was elected in 2023, faces her first challenger in what is expected to be a crowded race. Patty Gibbons, president of the Greater Harmony Hills Neighborhood Association, who previously fought to keep her neighborhood out of District 1 during redistricting, has launched her campaign to challenge Kaur.
