Bexar County Democratic Chair Monica Ramirez Alcántara announced plans to resign Friday morning, after the party suffered big losses on Election Day.
In a letter, Alcántara said her decision was “based solely on my wanting to serve the voters of Bexar County in a different manner.”
A meeting of the county executive committee has been called to name her replacement on Nov. 21.
Alcántara has held the role since 2018, when she unseated incumbent Manuel Medina.
Her resignation comes as Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa also announced plans to step down on Friday.
“In the days and weeks to come, it is imperative that our Democratic leaders across the country reevaluate what is best for our party and embrace the next generation of leaders to take us through the next four years of Trump and win back seats up and down the ballot,” Hinojosa said in a press release.
During the last election cycle Alcántara helped bring in a statewide political action committee, Texas Majority PAC, which spent big money here trying to increase voter turnout in a blue stronghold.
But the Nov. 5 election ended with lower turnout in Bexar County than in the 2020 presidential race, despite a growing population and a rise in registered voters.
Democrats lost two targeted state House races here on Tuesday, as well as seats on the San Antonio-based Fourth Court of Appeals.
Alcántara has faced criticism from local Democrats over fines she racked up for delinquent campaign finance reports for her personal campaigns.
Local party chairs are elected during the primary, but a replacement must be named for Alcántara’s resignation to be effective, she said in the letter.
She asked the committee to consider Terri Flores Lopez, a precinct chair, as her replacement. According to the meeting invitation, applications for the role will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Nov. 21.
