Concerned Citizens

The start of 2011 can have different meanings to different people. For some it means getting ready for another NCAA regional tournament in the city. For others it means trying to figure out an early Fiesta schedule (Easter comes real late in 2011). But for a select group of San Antonians it means getting ready for a fast-paced municipal campaign season. San Antonio’s two year terms means some incumbents and several candidates start campaigning for possible election to City Council in May. This year should prove to be just as wild as 2009. While 2009 had one of the hottest mayoral races in a while, the real races this year will most likely come in some of the council races with District 1 being the hottest of the races.

Mayor

Mayor Castro shouldn’t face any serious challenge as he runs for re-election. Sure, he’ll have the typical gadflys of Michael Idrogo, Mama Bear, and Reed Smith. But with his strong leadership in 2009 and 2010 no other serious challengers seem to be emerging. Councilman John Clamp probably would have had the strongest challenge but, according to Bruce Davidson of the Express-News, probably will not challenge the mayor this coming election. Castro’s national profile will also help him in seeking re-election. While many have tagged Castro for bigger things he continues to remain focused on the job of serving as mayor of San Antonio.

Incumbents

The council members who will not term out this election also seem safe in their seats. Reed Williams in District 8 is probably the strongest council member thanks to his rational views during some of the most controversial issues over the past two years. Elise Chan has been very loyal to the business community and seems to have strong appeal with her District 9 constituency. Regarding District 6, it will really depend on if Ray Lopez draws a strong challenger.

David Medina’s active work in community projects and quality of life could keep him safe for re-election in District 5. Lourdes Galvan will challenge Medina in a rematch of 2009 but with his strong showing in council the past term and his incumbency that could be a difficult task to undertake. Medina recently helped unveil the first linear park in District 5 along Apache Creek, a start at addressing a major need of parks in District 5. Galvan announced her candidacy to a crowd of about 70 people in Elmendorf Park on New Years Eve. Most of her support appears to come from grassroots groups in the Westside such as LULAC. When I asked Galvan about the rematch, she responded that it was to mainly address the lack of progress during Medina’s term.

Galvan pointed to a number of projects that she had fought to secure for the district that were altered once Medina took office. One example was a Senior One Stop Center located on the edge of the district in a vacated HEB on S. Presa by the King William neighborhood.  The location of the center was controversial at its announcement. “Several speakers said they believed Medina had not included them in the decision process. Others decried locating a center so far from the district’s center, an economically-deprived area that many said desperately needs a comprehensive senior facility,” according to the Express-News article.

In an in-depth article by the new political and business news site Plaza de Armas, a collaboration by Greg Jefferson and Elaine Wolff, some of the issues between the two candidates are detailed. One that really strikes me is something Galvan mentioned in her announcement. “’He does not return phone calls, and this is a district that needs a lot of attention,’ she said. Medina could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon,” according to the article. I may test Medina out on that to see if he’s changed his tune. Being out of touch is not the best way to serve as a public servant.

Ivy Taylor could possibly be the most vulnerable of the incumbents not terming out. In 2009 Taylor came from a second place finish against Byron Miller to win by just 54 votes in the run-off. That race had quite a bit of controversy surrounding it, both in the general election and the run-off. Taylor would be very vulnerable had she just sat quietly on council representing her district. Instead, she engaged with Mayor Castro in community discussions for revitalizing the Eastside in the wake of BRAC expansion at both Brooke Army Medical Center and Fort Sam Houston. Unless a strong challenger emerges in District 2 Taylor should be safe in seeking re-election.

So what about those districts where council members will term out. The districts up for grabs in 2011 include Districts 1, 3, 4, 7 and 10. So far I have seen Leticia Cantu announce for District 4 with a very strong business and community backing including Mayor Julian Castro. In District 10 former WOAI reporter Bud Little has announced his candidacy and also seems to have strong community and business backing. In District 7 it appears Fred Rangel, an architect and businessman, has announced his candidacy. At this point I haven’t heard of any candidates for District 3 but it’s still early.

I’ll cover District 1 in a separate post since it’s probably the most hotly contested and dynamic race of all the council races. It’s also the one I have the most interest in since it’s my home district. But, as you can see, even without District 1 this coming year’s municipal elections will be interesting and worth watching. With half the council seats open and one or two incumbents expecting challenges the first half of 2011 will have plenty of campaign drama in it.