Brandon Gonzales is a granite polisher and first-time political candidate.
Hear from the candidate
Please tell voters about yourself.
I have lived in San Antonio all of my life. As far as my education goes, I’ve graduated high school with some years in college. Currently, I work as a granite polisher and manufacturer. This is my first run (and hopefully only time) for political office. Depending on how this race goes, we’ll see if San Antonio hears the last of me.
In a field of 27 mayoral candidates, what differentiates you from the others?
There’s 27 candidates running for mayor and not one voter knows anything about them. What you should know about me is that I don’t want to win. That’s why you’ll hear what I truly believe and not what I think voters want to hear.
My purpose for running is to shine a light on the phoniness of these politicians. My opponents are no different. Most voters already know the empty words and promises from these elections. Then why go and vote for the same drivel? San Antonio can expect me to say what needs to be said regardless if it hurts my campaign.
The 26 other candidates cannot say the same. Most are following the same steps as Ron Nirenberg, and look how our city turned out. So San Antonio, it’s time to vote for something other than the same plastic people in these elections.
If elected, you would be taking over at a time when the city has spent more than a year negotiating a massive downtown redevelopment effort in Project Marvel. How would you approach this project?
I’ve already made up my mind with this Project Marvel. I think it’s a bad idea. Here we have our government proposing another ambitious project when they can’t even expand our highways without it taking over a decade with little to no progress. Isn’t there enough traffic and construction, and now you want to add even more?
Now we’re hearing that they don’t know how to even finance this operation. I swear I would end this project in a heartbeat until San Antonio can figure out how to properly handle these past projects before starting up new ones. Project Marvel is a false promise of prosperity when we all know it leads to endless construction and suffering. Also no, taxpayers should not be forced to pay for this travesty. I think our taxpayer money gets wasted too much as it is.
In the city’s 2024-2025 budget survey, residents ranked homelessness, streets,
housing and animal care services among their top concerns for the city to address. Which issues do you consider a top concern and how would you work to address them in your first 100 days?
Homelessness, illegal immigration, and (as I’ve stated before) the never ending construction are the top issues for me, as well as many voters. Many of these issues could be solved overnight if we had politicians who cared about us. This is why I’m so indignant with these “city leaders”.
Why are homeless people allowed to flood our streets? Why did Ron Nirenberg allow illegal immigrants to take up our parking lots so that they can receive our money and resources?
These are questions that me and the people of San Antonio want answered. Put me in charge, then our police force can sweep the streets and send our homeless to facilities where they will be cared after. Simple solutions like this is unfortunately nonexistent in our local government. That’s why I’m in this race to bring attention to it.
For the past four years San Antonio has worked closely with the Biden Administration on federally funded projects like airport development and Advanced Rapid Transit. How would you approach working with both state leaders in Austin and a new presidential administration in D.C.?
Unlike Project Marvel, I’m open to expanding our San Antonio airport. I don’t believe it would inhibit movement through the city that Project Marvel would and I like the concept that Corgan and Lake Flato has for this expansion. Now, I’m not sure how confident I am when I hear that this operation would be completed by 2028, given this city’s record.
With this Transit plan, I don’t know much about it honestly. I see that San Antonio received a $268M federal grant for this, yet it’s a 10.35 mile route. Why does San Antonio need that much money for 10 miles? That’s an interesting question that should be answered. As for our Governor and President, if they have any use to bettering San Antonio, I’d be the first to get in touch with them. That is, only if these projects are worth getting into.
Read more about Brandon Gonzales
Inside the expensive, ‘confusing,’ 27-candidate race to be San Antonio’s next mayor
