Feb. 13 marked the end of the filing period for the May 2 local elections, and more than one dozen San Antonio-area cities and school districts will have contested races.
Local government entities such as New Braunfels and the Alamo Heights Independent School District will have multiple contests while voters in Kirby, Shavano Park, the Southwest Independent School District and the Alamo Colleges District must choose from a large number of candidates seeking a handful of public offices.
CITIES
City Council will look to cancel its election because only incumbents Blake Bonner, Lynda Billa Burke and Trey Jacobson filed for office.
City Council will meet Feb. 24 to cancel its election because only District 1 incumbent Ty Wolosin, and District 3 incumbent Kyle Mickelsen filed for office.
Place 1 Councilmember Jason Smith and Place 5 Councilmember Beth Daines drew no opposition. Place 4 Councilmember Jack Joyce declined a re-election bid. The race for Place 4 will match Frank Paul, a former council member and a current member of the city’s crime control and prevention district, against Vic Sylvia, a parks and projects commissioner and a scientist.
Place 2 Councilmember Keith Rhoden drew no opposition. Place 6 incumbent Jonathan Swarek is being challenged by Matthew Reigelsperger, USAA in-house counsel and legal advisor with expertise in cybersecurity issues.
Place 1 incumbent Kelly Smith is running unopposed. Retirees Jesus “Jesse” Valdez and Jim Hunter both filed to run for the Place 4 seat, where incumbent Todd Arvidson declined a re-election bid. Place 5 incumbent Brian Reyes, a law enforcement professional, will receive a challenge from general manager Chance Boughamer. These council seats have two-year terms.
Grey Forest will move to cancel its election as three people filed for three available seats. Mayor Paul Garro and Place 4 Councilmember Michael Phillips each will receive another term.
Sean Skaggs, a building inspector for the city of Boerne, was the lone applicant for council Place 2, where incumbent Tim Santy chose not to seek re-election. These seats have two-year terms.
Place 1 Councilmember Craig Sanders and Place 2 Councilmember Jen Sones each declined to run again. Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Gregg Michel applied for the Place 1 seat, as did Mike Gutierrez.
Another planning and zoning commissioner, Anne Carraway, was the lone applicant for the Place 2 position. Place 4 Councilmember Sabrina McGowan received no challenger. These seats have two-year terms.
Hollywood Park will move to cancel its election because the city received applications only from the incumbents – Mayor Chester Drash, Place 2 Councilmember Todd Kounse, and Place 4 Councilmember Wendy Gonzalez. These seats have two-year terms.
Seven residents filed for three council seats: incumbents Sylvia Apodaca and Mike Grant; Nathan Fox; past candidates Christopher “Chris” Garza and David Barboza; Dawn McCormick; and Jeff Eklund, president of the Kirby Crime Control and Prevention District board. Incumbent Englan Sanchez did not file for re-election.
Kirby residents are invited to meet council candidates in a public event Feb. 22, starting at 1 p.m. at the Kirby Community Farm, 5503 Johnny Duffek Drive.
Longtime Mayor Chris Riley drew challenges from consultant Jed Hefner, and Evan Bohl, a private investigator and bail enforcement agent who ran for mayor in 2024. Bohl has also served on the city’s planning and zoning and parks commissions.
Neither Place 2 Councilmember Betty Heyl nor Place 4 Councilmember Rey Orozco drew opposition. These seats carry two-year terms.
Mayor Neal Linnartz is being challenged by U.S. Army veteran and communications professional Michael French, disabled veteran and business owner Jonathon Frazier, and real estate agent Angela Allen, a Mission Hills Ranch resident who has been among the vocal critics of a nearby controversial housing proposal that is now being considered by city leaders.
District 5 Councilmember Mary Ann Labowski drew opposition from sales professional Chase Taylor, a past city building standards commissioner who now serves on the city’s planning commission, and workforce housing advisory committee.
District 6 Councilmember April Ryan has two challengers: Army veteran and past combat medic Nikki Ryan, and test engineer Steven Voges. These council seats have two-year terms.
Mayor Erin Harrison and Place 5 Councilmember Will Brooks drew no opposition. Attorneys James Griffin and Adam Harden filed for the Place 4 position, where incumbent Kenyon McDonald is retiring. These seats have two-year terms.
Five residents filed for three at-large council seats: incumbents Konrad Kuykendall and Lee Powers, former council member Vicky Maisel, U.S. Air Force retiree Christian Lyons, and entrepreneur Alexandria Kling. Councilmember Maggi Kautz declined a re-election bid. Voters will be asked to pick three candidates for three seats. These posts carry two-year terms.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Alamo Heights Independent School District
Place 3 board member Ty Edwards drew a challenge from Lindsey Saldana, an assistant principal in the Edgewood ISD. Place 4 trustee Hunter Kingman is being opposed by data scientist Bianca Cerqueira. These board seats have three-year terms.
Victor Reyna, a Spring Branch resident and business executive, filed for the CISD board District 3 seat, where incumbent Jason York declined a re-election bid for a fourth term. District 4 trustee Russ Garner, a New Braunfels resident, drew no opposition. These board seats have three-year terms.
District 2 board Vice President Nancy York is being opposed by Jennifer Hendriex, a semi-retired teacher. District 4 trustee John Tucker did draw a challenge from former teacher Sarah Teale, but she withdrew her name. These board seats have three-year terms.
Southwest Independent School District
Four residents filed for two at-large school board seats: incumbents Jose Diaz, a trucking owner-operator; James Gonzalez, a sales representative; retiree Pete Bernal; and Yolanda Garza-Lopez, a management assistant. These board seats have three-year terms.
District 4 trustee Lorena “Lorraine” Pulido and District 8 board member Clint Kingsbery each drew no challenger. District 9 incumbent Leslie Sachanowicz is being opposed by past board member Joe Jesse Sanchez, accountant Robert Garcia, and Carolyn DeLecour, a past ACD professor and a current certified grief educator.These board seats carry six-year terms.
Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District
This special northern Bexar County district is canceling its election because there are no contested board races. The applicants are Precinct 3 incumbent Steven Peterson, Precinct 4 board member Joe Silman, and civil engineer David Timmermann, who will replace Katrina Waring Castillo, who declined a re-election bid.
Early voting for the May 2 local elections will take place April 20-28. Focus on San Antonio will publish articles previewing contested races in the coverage area.
