San Antonio’s 2025 mayoral race has become one of the city’s most crowded in recent years, with 27 individuals gunning for the position. The final debate occurred on April 8 at the Carver Community Cultural Center. Eight candidates were invited to participate in a debate hosted and moderated by the San Antonio Report alongside San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.
The candidates were selected based on local polling, fundraising data from 2024 and 2025 and major endorsements. The panel included City Council members Adriana Rocha Garcia (District 4), Melissa Cabello Havrda (District 6), Manny Pelaez (District 8),John Courage (District 9), former council member Clayton Perry (District 10), tech entrepreneur Beto Altamirano, former Air Force Under Secretary Gina Ortiz Jones and former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos.
Moderated by San Antonio Report Government and Politics Reporter Andrea Drusch, the 90-minute debate featured tense exchanges, particularly between candidates with City Hall experience and those new to the political scene. Council members defended their experience in city management, often questioning the readiness of their less-experienced opponents.
Cabello Havrda, Rocha Garcia, Pelaez and Courage emphasized their understanding of municipal operations and suggested that those without city experience should have first pursued smaller offices. In response, opponents accused incumbents of failing to adequately address long-standing issues, such as poverty, crime and housing affordability.
Cabello Havrda took aim at her opponents, specifically Pelaez and others who she claimed lacked “real” experience.
“What you’re going to hear from our friend named La Chancla,” she said, referencing Pelaez, “is that he spent $300,000 with no money to buy your vote. Ms. Jones is going to tell you that there’s no time to waste, and I absolutely agree with you. There’s no time to waste on any candidate that doesn’t have city experience, that doesn’t know the first thing about running a city.”
Courage added, “I’m here to convince you not to vote for somebody who shouldn’t be mayor,” reiterating a common theme from the incumbents.
Top fundraisers in the race include Ortiz Jones, Altamirano, Pablos and Pelaez, who recently loaned his campaign $324,000 in time to appear on campaign finance reports.
Ortiz Jones highlighted her leadership experience as Under Secretary of the Air Force. She assisted and oversaw the Air Force and Space Force while managing an annual budget of more than $173 billion. Altamirano, founder of the San Antonio-based tech startup Irys, cited his business background and early career in Democratic politics as preparation for leading strategic economic development in the city.
Pablos, backed by a multimillion-dollar political action committee aligned with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, sparred with Pelaez over job creation. When Pelaez took credit for economic gains, Pablos responded that the governor’s office was responsible for bringing those jobs to San Antonio.
Candidates without City Council experience pressed the incumbents on a lack of progress on housing, transportation and public health. Pablos called out persistent economic inequality, saying, “I think it’s time to address the elephant in the room, and that’s pervasive poverty, generational poverty, systemic poverty. Sixty years ago, the poverty rate in San Antonio was 18%. Today it’s 18% — nothing has changed. Broken promises. We haven’t moved the needle.”
During a lightning round, candidates were asked to share their positions on the plan quickly. One of the night’s most controversial topics was Project Marvel, a proposed $4 billion downtown entertainment district in District 1 that would relocate the San Antonio Spurs from the East Side.
Altamirano expressed support for the project but not with the use of public funds, a sentiment Cabello Havrda and Perry echoed. Cabello Havrda emphasized that the initiative must be community-led, while Perry opposed any use of taxpayer dollars. Rocha Garcia said she would support a public-private partnership, and Courage expressed support for the project’s original intent — improving the Alamodome, Hemisfair and the convention center.
Pelaez expressed skepticism, stating, “I’m going to be a champion of neighborhoods. If this stadium doesn’t benefit every neighborhood in San Antonio, then I’m not going to support it. If it doesn’t help schools and child care and learning, I’m not going to support it.”
Ortiz Jones said she is committed to getting more answers about the project, and Pablos reiterated his focus on uplifting neighborhoods citywide.
Public safety was also a crucial topic, with Rocha Garcia, Cabello Havrda, Pelaez and Courage highlighting their records on crime reduction and plans to continue working with law enforcement. Political newcomers questioned whether existing policies were effective enough and raised concerns about public trust in policing.
Most candidates agreed that the city must take more aggressive steps to address the affordability gap for housing. Proposals included revisiting zoning policies, creating more affordable housing units and implementing measures to prevent gentrification.
As the campaign continues, voters can weigh experience against fresh perspectives and debate whether the city needs steady leadership or bold change. With high-stakes issues like crime, housing and Project Marvel at the forefront, San Antonio’s crowded mayoral race is far from settled.
Watch the full debate here.
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