Election Day is 16 days away and the ballot includes 27 mayoral candidates and 59 city council candidates For the first time in 16 years, the Mayor’s seat is open, and City Council Districts 4, 6, 8, and 9 are vacant. The new Mayor and Councilmembers will serve 4-year terms and receive a pay increase, thanks to voter-approved changes in November 2024.
Please make sure your 2025 Fiesta plans include participating in this important election.
Election Dates
- April 22–29: Early voting (Fiesta)
- May 3: Election Day (Fiesta)
- June 7: Runoff election
Voting Resources
- San Antonio Express News Editorial Board May 2025 Election Recommendations
- Metro SA Chamber 2025 Voter Guide
- The San Antonio Report’s 2025 Voter Guide
- Bexar County Elections Homepage
San Antonio Mayor’s Race
The Mayor’s race is heating up more each day, with 8 top contenders. UTSA’s Center for Public Opinion Research released a poll earlier this week that shows the top leaders as Gina Ortiz Jones with 12.8% support, John Courage with 7.1%, and Beto Altamirano with 6.6%. The poll also shows that 45.2% of voters remain undecided or unfamiliar with the candidates. The Mayor’s race will most certainly be a runoff and will rely heavily on early voters turning out to vote ahead of Election Day on May 3. Districts 8 and 9 are both competitive open seat races, and voter turnout is usually high in both districts, which could impact the Mayor’s race.
Candidates Beto Altamirano, Gina Ortiz Jones, Rolando Pablos, District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez, and former District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry are among the top fundraisers. We have never seen a Mayor’s race quite like this in San Antonio, and it will be very interesting to see who will be heading to the runoff.
Mayoral Candidates – Top Contenders
- Beto Altamirano
- Melissa Cabello Havrda (District 6 Councilwoman)
- John Courage (District 9 Councilman)
- Gina Ortiz Jones
- Rolando Pablos
- Manny Pelaez (District 8 Councilman)
- Clayton Perry (Former District 10 Councilman)
- Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia (District 4 Councilwoman) –endorsed by SAEN
City Council Races
Four of the ten City Council seats are open seats. The following is the complete list of the 59 Council candidates. It is likely that these open seats will go to runoff. A candidate needs 50% + 1 vote to win without a runoff. If no candidate secures at least 50%o f the vote, the top two finishers go to a runoff
District 1 (Runoff likely)
Incumbent candidate Councilwoman Dr. Sukh Kaur has been making the headlines with her District 1 race – with a total of 9 challengers. It will be tough for her to win re-election on May 3 in this crowded race, but she is running her campaign exactly like she did the last time when she unseated the D1 incumbent two years ago.
- Dr. Sukh Kaur (incumbent) – endorsed by SAEN
- Maureen Galindo
- Matthew Gauna
- Patty Gibbons
- Ramiro Gonzales
- Anita Marie Kegley
- Dominque Littwitz
- Julisa Medrano-Guerra
- Arnulfo Ortiz
- Susan Strawn
Read more about the District 1 race here
District 2
Incumbent Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez should have no problem getting re-elected on May 3rd. This will be his third, and final term, in office.
- Jalen McKee-Rodriguez (incumbent) – endorsed by SAEN
- Sean Hanlin
- Rose Requenez Hill
- Bryant Livingston
- Sonya Moore
- Stephanie Powell
- Carla Sisco
- Kizzie Thomas
Read more about the District 2 race here.
District 3
Incumbent Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran should successfully win her third term in office, further continuing the Viagran legacy in District 3.
Read more about the District 3 race here
District 4 – Open Seat
Four candidates are in the District 4 race and it appears that Edward Mungia is the strongest candidate. He serves as current staff in District 4 and was a former staff member to District 4 Councilman Rey Saldana
- Ernesto Arrellano Jr.
- Johnathon Cruz
- Gregorio De La Paz
- Jose Martinez
- Edward Mungia – endorsed by SAEN
Read more about the District 4 race here
District 5
Incumbent Councilwoman Teri Castillo does not have any significant threats with her two challengers and should be elected on May 3rd for her third, and last term, in office.
Read more about the District 5 race here
District 6 – Open Seat (runoff likely)
Eight candidates are vying for the District 6 seat, all with various backgrounds and experience. The ones to watch appear to be Gerald Lopez, Lawson Alaniz-Picasso, Kelly Ann Gonzalez (endorsed by the current D6 Councilwoman), and Ric Galvan.
- Lawson Alaniz-Picasso
- Chris Baecker
- Vanessa Chavez
- Ric Galvan
- Kelly Ann Gonzalez
- Bobby Herrera
- Gerald Lopez – endorsed by SAEN
- Carlos Antonio Raymond
Read more about the District 6 race here
District 7
Councilwoman Marina Aldrete Gavito is seeking her second term on Council, and we expect her to win with a large percentage on election day. She has done great work in her first two years and we’re sure to see a lot from her in the next term.
Read more about the District 7 race here
District 8 – Open Seat (Runoff likely)
Six candidates are lining up for election in District 8, with 3 of those garnering the most attention. The ones to watch on May 3rd (and if you live in District 8) are Ivalis Meza Gonzalez, Paula McGee, and Sakib Shaikh.
- Cesario Garcia
- Ivalis Meza Gonzalez – endorsed by SAEN
- Rodney Kidd
- Paula McGee
- Cindy Onyekwelu
- Sakib Shaikh
Read more about the District 8 race here.
District 9 – Open Seat (Runoff likely)
The District 9 race will be a tight one with 7 candidates. We are closely tracking Angi Taylor-Aramburu, Danny Meza, and Misty Spears as the top three contenders.
- Angi Taylor Aramburu – endorsed by SAEN
- April Chang
- Emily Joy Garza
- Tristen Hoffman
- Daniel Mezza
- Misty Spears
- Celeste Tidwell
Read more about the District 9 race here.
District 10
Councilman Marc Whye is looking for his second term on City Council and has four challengers that we have not heard much about. He should be re-elected by a healthy percentage on May 3rd.
Read more about the District 10 race here
Please reach out to us with any questions and to learn more about any of the races and candidates.