Before the filing period had even opened at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, candidates were already arriving at City Hall to get their names on the ballot for the May 3 municipal election.
Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia (D4) was the first to formally file her paperwork for the wide-open race to replace the outgoing mayor, joined by her son, Steve Garcia, and Councilman John Courage (D9), a former mayoral hopeful who has reemerged as Rocha Garcia’s “Northside neighborhood liaison.”
“I wanted to make sure that I was the first one to be here, because I wanted just to be all in, and I’m excited,” said Rocha Garcia, who represents part of the city’s South Side.
After eight years, Mayor Ron Nirenberg is term-limited from seeking reelection, and the large number of candidates running to replace him has created several additional openings on the City Council.
The field will be set on Feb. 14, when filing closes at 5 p.m.
Candidates can continue to file their paperwork at City Hall during regular business hours from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Among the early birds arriving Wednesday was Ivalis Meza Gonzalez, a former chief of staff to Nirenberg and Democratic candidate for Bexar County Judge in 2022. She’s running in a crowded race to represent District 8 on the Northwest side, where incumbent Councilman Manny Pelaez (D8) is termed-out and running for mayor.
Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito (D7), who is seeking a second term representing the near Northwest Side, brought her daughters, Marielle and Giselle, as well as her parents, Joe and Christina Alderete, as she filed for reelection.
In a touching moment, Alderete Gavito and her family exchanged hugs and congratulated Rocha Garcia on her mayoral bid. Giselle, age 5, gazed up at Rocha Garcia with wonder after learning that she was running to be the leader of all the council members.
A handful of candidates with conservative backgrounds also appeared early on Wednesday, ready to shake up a City Hall that’s currently dominated by members with more progressive views.
Misty Spears, who ran as a Republican for District Clerk in 2022, was there filing to run in District 9, where Courage is term-limited from seeking reelection. As was Patty Gibbons, a longtime conservative activist and Greater Harmony Hills Neighborhood Association president, who is running in District 1.
Tim Westley, an Education Services Specialist with the Department of Defense who ran for the GOP nomination for Texas Land Commissioner in 2022, also arrived within the first hour to file his paperwork for the mayoral contest.
By 10 a.m. the early rush had died down significantly.
Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran (D3), who recently underwent treatment for cancer, and Councilwoman Teri Castillo (D5), each filed for a third term.
They were part of large class of newcomers in 2021, which brought a wave of progressive voices to the council.
“The institutional knowledge is invaluable,” Castillo said of her first two terms. “I’m hopeful that there’s opportunities for more folks to have a say on City Council and a diverse spectrum of perspectives.”
This year one of her staffers, 24-year-old Special Projects Director Ric Galvan, was among those filing his candidacy Wednesday morning, for the open race in District 6 .
“It’s been really nice to be able to connect with the folks that I’ve met along the way and say, ‘This time, I’m the candidate,’” Galvan said. “People seem excited to have a young candidate who’s going to be bold and make sure that we’re implementing policies that really support them.”
