Municipal elections in San Antonio, Texas (2015)

San Antonio, Texas municipal elections, 2015

List of candidates Mayor District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6 District 7 District 8 District 9 District 10

Districts map

Issues

Ballot measures

2015 Municipal Elections

San Antonio, Texas

The city of San Antonio, Texas, held elections for mayor and city council on May 9, 2015. A runoff election took place on June 13, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was February 27, 2015. All 10 city council seats were up for election.

In the mayoral race, incumbent Ivy R. Taylor won election to a full term, but only after overcoming some serious competition. Taylor was appointed to the office on July 22, 2014, after former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro left office to assume the position of Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Thirteen challengers filed to run against her, including Mike Villarreal, a former Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives, and Leticia Van de Putte, a former Democratic member of the Texas State Senate. The general election field was one of the largest in San Antonio's recent political history. The most opponents that Taylor's predecessor, Julian Castro, ever faced was in 2009, when the office was an open seat. He faced eight opponents in that race. As an incumbent, he had four challengers in 2011 and six in 2013.

In the general election on May 9, no candidate managed to win a majority. Van de Putte was the clear front runner with over 30 percent of the vote. Taylor and Villarreal trailed closely behind, winning 28 percent and 26 percent respectively. Van de Putte and Taylor advanced to a runoff on June 13. Taylor was the winner.

An incumbent ran for re-election in each of the 10 council races in the general election. All of them faced challengers, and all of them won re-election decisively on May 19, with the exception of first-term council member Cris Medina in District 7. Mari Aguirre-Rodriguez forced Medina into a runoff. Medina was just slightly over 3 percent away from the majority that he needed to win re-election outright. What tipped the scales in Aguirre-Rodriguez' favor may have been Fred A. Rangel, who took home 14.5 percent. Medina successfully defended his seat in the runoff.

The District 2 race featured a rematch between incumbent Alan E. Warrick and Keith A. Toney, who briefly held the seat from August 2014 to December 2014. Warrick defeated Toney in a runoff election on December 9, 2014. He repeated his victory in 2015, winning with 62 percent of the vote.

Major issues and points of contention leading up to the general election included a significant land annexation plan, which some have argued could make San Antonio the fifth largest city in the country. Candidates, however, were sharply divided over the pros and cons of annexation. They also sparred over a controversial LGBT non-discrimination ordinance that city council passed in 2013 and the decisions of ride-sharing businesses Uber and Lyft to suspend operations in the city in 2015. You can more about these issues below.

In addition to the mayoral and council races, San Antonio voters also decided on a collection of ballot measures and charter amendments, including a salary increase for the mayor and city council, a streetcar initiative and a 0.125 percent sales tax increase. More information on these measures can be found below.

Mayor

Candidate list

May 9 General election candidates:

• Paul A. Martinez
• Douglas S. Emmett
• Michael Idrogo
• Raymond Zavala
• Ivy R. Taylor a - Incumbent Taylor was appointed in 2014.
• Mike Villarreal - Villarreal is a former member of the Texas House of Representatives.
• Tommy Adkisson
• Leticia Van de Putte a - Van de Putte is a former member of the Texas State Senate.
• Rhett Rosenquest Smith
• Julie Iris Oldham
• Cynthia T. Cavazos
• Gerard Ponce
• Pogo Mochello Reese
• Cynthia Brehm

June 13 Runoff election candidates:

• Ivy R. Taylor
• Leticia Van de Putte

Election results

Mayor of San Antonio Runoff Election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Ivy R. Taylor Incumbent	51.7%	50,662
Leticia Van de Putte	48.3%	47,331
Total Votes		97,993
Source: Bexar County Elections, "Official runoff election results," accessed September 15, 2015

Mayor of San Antonio General Election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Leticia Van de Putte	30.4%	25,986
Ivy R. Taylor Incumbent	28.4%	24,247
Mike Villarreal	26.1%	22,247
Tommy Adkisson	9.8%	8,344
Paul A. Martinez	2.2%	1,877
Cynthia Brehm	1.8%	1,498
Douglas S. Emmett	0.3%	221
Michael Idrogo	0.3%	221
Cynthia T. Cavazos	0.2%	201
Raymond Zavala	0.2%	196
Rhett Rosenquest Smith	0.1%	111
Julie Iris Oldham	0.1%	103
Gerard Ponce	0.1%	97
Pogo Mochello Reese	0%	29
Total Votes		82,701
Source: Bexar County Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 28, 2015

City council

Map of San Antonio council districts. Click to enlarge.

2016 → ← 2014

2015 Elections for Mayors and City Councils

Municipal Elections

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Candidate list

District 1

May 9 General election candidates:

• Roger A. Scott
• Jesus G. Reyes
• Roberto C. Trevino - Incumbent Trevino was appointed in 2014.
• Peter Kurzon

District 2

May 9 General election candidates:

• Keith A. Toney - Toney previously held the District 2 seat from August 2014 to December 2014.
• Antonio Diaz
• Alan E. Warrick - Incumbent Warrick was elected in 2014.

District 3

May 9 General election candidates:

• Rebecca J. Viagran - Incumbent Viagran was elected in 2013.
• Roy Aguillon
• Paul Farias

District 4

May 9 General election candidates:

• Genevieve Trinidad
• Manuel R. Lopez
• Rey Saldaña - Incumbent Saldana was elected in 2011.

District 5

May 9 General election candidates:

• Shirley Gonzales - Incumbent Gonzales was elected in 2013.
• Nazirite Rubén F. Pérez
• Allen Townsend

District 6

May 9 General election candidates:

• Steve Shamblen
• Ray Lopez - Incumbent Lopez was elected in 2009.

District 7

May 9 General election candidates:

• John E. Foddrill Sr.
• Cris Medina a - Incumbent Medina was elected in 2011.
• Mari Aguirre-Rodriguez a
• Fred A. Rangel
• Enrique Valdivia

June 13 Runoff election candidates:

• Cris Medina
• Mari Aguirre-Rodriguez

District 8

May 9 General election candidates:

• Adam I. Goodman
• Yvonne Martinez
• Robert L. Meeks
• Ron Nirenberg - Incumbent Nirenberg was elected in 2013.

District 9

May 9 General election candidates:

• Richard Castanon
• Joe Krier - Incumbent Krier was elected in 2014.
• Lori Slusher
• Jeffry Van Slycke
• Bert Cecconi

District 10

May 9 General election candidates:

• Mike Gallagher - Incumbent Gallagher was elected in 2014.
• Celeste Montez-Tidwell

Election results

San Antonio City Council, District 7 Runoff Election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Cris Medina Incumbent	54.3%	6,732
Mari Aguirre-Rodriguez	45.7%	5,668
Total Votes		12,400
Source: Bexar County Elections, "Official general election results," accessed September 15, 2015

San Antonio City Council, District 1 General Election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Roberto C. Trevino Incumbent	66.4%	4,908
Roger A. Scott	21.2%	1,565
Jesus G. Reyes	8.9%	660
Peter Kurzon	3.5%	257
Total Votes		7,390
Source: Bexar County Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 28, 2015

San Antonio City Council, District 2, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Alan E. Warrick Incumbent	62.1%	3,101
Keith A. Toney	23.4%	1,167
Antonio Diaz	14.6%	728
Total Votes		4,996
Source: Bexar County Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 28, 2015

San Antonio City Council, District 3, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Rebecca J. Viagran Incumbent	57.3%	4,050
Roy Aguillon	36.3%	2,566
Paul Farias	6.4%	456
Total Votes		7,072
Source: Bexar County Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 28, 2015

San Antonio City Council, District 4, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Rey Saldaña Incumbent	65.3%	2,985
Manuel R. Lopez	24.7%	1,129
Genevieve Trinidad	9.9%	454
Total Votes		4,568
Source: Bexar County Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 28, 2015

San Antonio City Council, District 5, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Shirley Gonzales Incumbent	78.2%	3,301
Allen Townsend	12.6%	533
Nazirite Rubén F. Pérez	9.2%	389
Total Votes		4,223
Source: Bexar County Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 28, 2015

San Antonio City Council, District 6, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Ray Lopez Incumbent	73.7%	4,356
Steve Shamblen	26.3%	1,553
Total Votes		5,909
Source: Bexar County Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 28, 2015

San Antonio City Council, District 7 General Election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Cris Medina Incumbent	46.9%	4,689
Mari Aguirre-Rodriguez	27.8%	2,780
Fred A. Rangel	14.5%	1,451
Enrique Valdivia	7.2%	723
John E. Foddrill Sr.	3.6%	358
Total Votes		10,001
Source: Bexar County Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 28, 2015

San Antonio City Council, District 8, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Ron Nirenberg Incumbent	72.5%	7,093
Yvonne Martinez	17.7%	1,730
Robert L. Meeks	5.5%	540
Adam I. Goodman	4.3%	420
Total Votes		9,783
Source: Bexar County Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 28, 2015

San Antonio City Council, District 9, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Joe Krier Incumbent	72.3%	9,277
Jeffry Van Slycke	10.2%	1,307
Richard Castanon	6.9%	880
Lori Slusher	6.5%	838
Bert Cecconi	4.1%	524
Total Votes		12,826
Source: Bexar County Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 28, 2015

San Antonio City Council, District 10, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mike Gallagher Incumbent	81.1%	8,305
Celeste Montez-Tidwell	18.9%	1,936
Total Votes		10,241
Source: Bexar County Elections, "Official general election results," accessed May 28, 2015

Districts map

San Antonio is divided into 10 council districts of roughly equal size. Each district elects its own representative on city council. Click the map to return to the candidate list.

Issues

Land annexation

In December 2014, the San Antonio City Council voted to begin moving forward with a plan to annex a total of 66 square miles lying on the outskirts of the city. The scope of the annexation can be seen on the map to the right. The colored areas are the proposed annexation territories. Incorporating these areas into the city would boost the city's population from 1.4 million to approximately 1.6 million, which some have argued would make San Antonio the fifth-largest city in the country by the end of the decade.

Residents living in San Antonio and in the proposed annexed areas expressed both approval and disapproval for the plan. Supporters argued that the city needs the annexation in order to expand and grow. Opponents, on the other hand, viewed it as a land grab and feared that annexation would mean higher taxes.

Mayor Taylor, along with most of the San Antonio City Council, was a strong supporter of the plan. Her mayoral opponents, however, were critical of annexation and some argued that the city should focus on updating and maintaining services and infrastructure in the territory that it already has before acquiring new territories. Former Bexar County Commissioner and 2015 mayoral candidate Tommy Adkisson, for example, stated at a candidate forum in April 2015:

“

We are jumping a little quickly into this. First of all, I can tell you the code compliance in my neighborhood sucks. I can tell you that the street repair in my Middle America community leaves much to be desired. Animal Care Services -- much to be desired.

”

At the same forum, candidate Leticia Van de Putte argued that annexation was moving too quickly, saying, "I'm for annexation but this needs to be smart and needs to be planned out." In a tweet on April 13, 2015, she touched again on this argument: "Annexation: Aggressiveness of the timeline is a detriment to both those being annexed and to our current citizens."

LGBT ordinance

Ivy R. Taylor

At a faith forum held at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio on April 19, 2015, Mayor Ivy R. Taylor became the subject of controversy for her comments on an LGBT non-discrimination ordinance, which the city council approved in 2013. Taylor, who voted against the ordinance, stated:

“

I did not feel we should have even been debating that issue. I thought it was a waste of time. We should have been focusing on those critical issues that you’re concerned about — streets and roads, and police and fire, libraries and parks. There was no way that we in those council chambers could change hearts of men, and what I felt I was being asked to do was provide tacit approval to something I didn’t feel comfortable with, and to also demand that people who do business with the city do that same thing. And so I voted 'no,’ I voted my conscience and I stand behind my vote.

”

Taylor's comments were well received at the faith forum, but elsewhere they drew criticism. On Twitter, for instance, supporters of the ordinance questioned her commitment to protecting minorities and the LGBT community in San Antonio.

Mayoral candidates Mike Villarreal and Leticia Van de Putte also criticized Taylor's statement. At the same forum where Taylor made her comments on the LGBT ordinance, Villarreal voiced his support for the ordinance and stressed that it was a necessary law. Van de Putte took a similar stance and said, "I believe that people who are in the gay and lesbian community need to have those protections."

Taylor later took to Twitter to defend her comments, saying, "To clarify: it is a waste of time and taxpayer dollars to re-debate an ordinance that was duly passed in 2013… and implemented under the direction of my office last year."

City council passed the ordinance in September 2013 by an 8-to-3 vote. The law prohibits the city from discriminating against contractors based on gender identity and sexual orientation. It also prohibits public accommodation services operating in the city from refusing service to LGBT persons. The law was deeply controversial at the time of its passing and attracted national attention. When the vote took place, Taylor was a member of city council. Other cities in Texas, such as Houston, have passed similar ordinances. They too have been sources of controversy.

Uber

On December 11, 2014, the San Antonio City Council voted in favor of a city ordinance that regulates ride-sharing operations like Uber and Lyft. The original ordinance mandated third-party vehicle inspections and thorough background checks for Uber and Lyft drivers and established insurance minimums, permits and operating fees. Uber and Lyft responded to the ordinance by threatening to cancel operations in San Antonio, which prompted the city to revise the ordinance in March 2015 by lessening the insurance minimums and operating fees and streamlining the permitting process.

The revisions, however, proved too little too late. Uber announced its intentions to suspend operations in San Antonio beginning on April 1. Lyft decided to halt its ride-sharing business until city council makes further revisions to the ordinance.

Mayor Ivy R. Taylor was generally supportive of the new regulations, saying:

“

At the core we are really asking for three items we believe will ensure public safety: We are asking for appropriate insurance to protect the public, when it becomes available; we are asking that drivers receive thorough criminal background checks; and we are asking that companies establish a program of random drug tests of drivers. Our job as a Council is not to ensure the profitability of their business model; our job is to ensure the public’s safety.

”

Several of Taylor's 2015 opponents, such as Mike Villarreal and Leticia Van de Putte, were critical of her handling of the situation, arguing that the new regulations are too burdensome and that Taylor did not do enough to keep Uber and Lyft in the city.

Ballot measures

Sales tax

See also: Proposition 1 and Proposition 2

Two measures concerning a 0.125 percent sales tax were decided by San Antonio voters on May 9, 2015. The tax would have been authorized by approval of either of the two measures. Each measure proposed specific projects on which to spend the revenue.

a Proposition 1 authorized the city to impose a 0.125 percent city sales tax for five years. Revenue from the sales tax would be used to finance, fully develop and implement the "Edwards Aquifer Protection Venue Project" to preserve open space and protect the Edwards Aquifer water supply. Proposition 1 was designed to earmark $100 million of sales tax revenue for water protection and land preservation to be spent in the following way:

• $90 million to purchase and protect land in "the aquifer’s sensitive Recharge and Contributing Zones."
• $10 million to create new protection zones within urban areas of the county with the intention of safeguarding the city's drinking water.

a Proposition 2 authorized the city to impose a 0.125 percent city sales tax. Proposition 2 was designed to earmark $80 million of sales tax revenue to continue building the Howard W. Peak Greenway Trail system.

Charter amendments

Four charter amendments were put before voters at the city's election on May 9, 2015. One, which was designed to require voter approval of all streetcar and light rail projects, was initiated through the petition process. The other three resulted from recommendations made by a charter review commission.

Streetcar Vote Initiative

See also: Streetcar Initiative, Amendment 1

a Charter Amendment 1 required voter approval of any proposed streetcar or light rail project in the city or through the city. This amendment was put on the ballot through a successful initiative petition organized by a group called the Streetcar Vote Coalition.

Review Commission

See also: Amendment 2, Amendment 3 and Amendment 4

Three charter amendments were suggested by the San Antonio Charter Review Commission:

a Charter Amendment 2 increased the salary of city council members from $20 per meeting, amounting to $1,040 per year, to $45,722 per year. Amendment 2 was also designed to increase the salary of the mayor from $4,040 per year to $61,725 per year.

Councilman Ron Nirenberg explained that, as things were, the council member and mayoral offices were basically full-time volunteer positions. He said, “I think it goes without saying that everyone up here takes on this job willingly, knowing exactly what we’re getting into. And the beauty of this job is you never have to wake up in the morning thinking that you’re going to work for the money.” Nirenburg agreed, however, that it was time to let voters decide if they wanted to open up the city council and mayoral office to candidates from a wider range of economic classes.

Amendment 2 was designed to allow the salary increases to take effect immediately, applying for the mayor and council members elected on May 9, 2015.

a Charter Amendment 3 standardized the process for filling city council and mayoral vacancies. It was designed to require a special election if a vacancy occurred when more than 120 days remained in the office's term. If less than 120 days remained, the position was to be filled at the next regularly scheduled election. Under the amendment, the city council appoints a temporary replacement until either the special or regular election takes place.

a Charter Amendment 4 made technical changes to the charter to update or remove outdated and unnecessary language. It was not designed to make any substantial changes.

Recent news

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See also

• United States municipal elections, 2015
• San Antonio, Texas

External links

Suggest a link

• City of San Antonio
• City of Antonio - 2015 Candidate Listing
• Bexar County Elections - Official general election results
• Bexar County Elections - Official runoff election results