By Edmond Ortiz
Contests for an Alamo Colleges District board seat, and two New Braunfels City Council posts, including the mayor’s office, will be settled at the polls June 13.
Alamo Colleges District
June 13 is Election Day in the ACD District 9 runoff election between accountant Robert Garcia, and Carolyn DeLecour, a past ACD professor and a current certified grief educator.
The victor succeeds incumbent trustee Leslie Sachanowicz, who narrowly missed out in qualifying for the runoff election.
Garcia is a Northwest Vista College graduate whose campaign priorities have included fiscal responsibility, expanding workforce opportunities for students, growing partnerships with local employers, and enhancing communications among district leadership, faculty, staff and community members.
Garcia is being endorsed by the likes of U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, Bexar County Commissioners Tommy Calvert and Justin Rodriguez, State Rep. Diego Bernal, and State Sen. Jose Menendez.
DeLecour spent nearly 50 years as an educator, including 27 at Palo Alto College. She has been advocating for improving student success and opportunities, supporting faculty and staff through trust, shared governance and open communication, and fostering more engagement with community members and businesses, especially those who employ ACD students.
District 9 covers a sliver of northeast San Antonio and neighboring suburbs such as Live Oak, Universal City, Selma and Windcrest. According to Bexar County elections officials, 740 voters cast a ballot at one of three polling sites during the early voting period.
Voters casting a ballot June 13 may do so between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the San Antonio College Victory Center, 1819 N. Main Ave.; Northeast Lakeview College, 1201 Kitty Hawk Road in Live Oak, or Hope Church, 18850 Redland Road.
New Braunfels
A heated match for mayor between first-term incumbent Neal Linnartz and runoff challenger Michael French ends this weekend.
French, a military veteran and a former Trump White House staffer, claimed a win after votes were tabulated in the local May 2 election.
But city officials riled many New Braunfels residents when they revealed a runoff election was needed because French failed to meet a majority vote of 50% or more, which is required by the state for a public office involving a three-year term. The city’s charter currently permits mayoral election victory by a plurality vote.
An attorney by trade, Linnartz’s top campaign issues have included smart growth, public safety, protecting the city’s character, fiscal responsibility, and thoughtful economic development.
French has made New Braunfels’ growth and its resulting challenges a critical part of his mayoral campaign. He also has prioritized strengthening public safety elements, and changing culture at City Hall.
Council District 6 voters will decide whether to reward incumbent and business owner April Ryan with a second term or choose Army veteran and past combat medic Nikki Shaw.
Ryan’s campaign priorities have included fiscal responsibility, investing in infrastructure, maintaining adequate public safety, and improving the quality of life.
Shaw hopes to address issues such as city growth, maintaining quality infrastructure, fiscal responsibility, and affordability challenges, especially among senior citizens, veterans and young families.
District 6 covers a portion of New Braunfels east of Interstate 35 and south of the Guadalupe River, including many neighborhoods that surround Fischer Park.
Election Day polling for New Braunfels voters will be held 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at: City Hall, 550 Landa St., Westside Branch Library, 2910 I-35 S., New Braunfels Public Library, 700 E. Common St., Comal County Church Hill Annex, and Eden Hill: 631 Lakeview Blvd.
