The eight-candidate Democratic primary for Bexar County’s open district attorney seat is down to Luz Elena Chapa, a former justice on the Fourth Court of Appeals, and Jane Davis, a longtime prosecutor who oversees the juvenile division of the DA’s office.
With all precincts reporting at 1:37 a.m., Chapa took 23.80% and Davis took 18.14%. Since no candidate secured at least 50% of the votes, the top two will advance to a May 26 primary runoff.
Whoever emerges as the Democratic nominee in a county that has voted reliably blue in recent election cycles will be favored in November’s general election. They’ll face Ashley Foster, the lone Republican in the race, along with a potential independent candidate who must gather signatures to qualify for the ballot.
The open-seat contest follows District Attorney Joe Gonzales’ decision not to seek reelection to a position that has faced increasing scrutiny from both the left and right in recent years.
Gonzales came in with a national wave of progressive prosecutors in 2018, running on a platform of restorative justice and benefiting from roughly $1 million in support from liberal billionaire George Soros’ Texas Justice and Public Safety political action committee.
The race to replace him is now coming down to a referendum on those policies, with Chapa calling for change, and Davis saying Gonzales’ efforts to keep low-level offenders out of jail has served the community well.
Chapa, 52, entered the race with backing from a political action committee aligned with the San Antonio Police Officers’ Association and emphasized her judicial experience and management background. Though she has not served as a prosecutor, she argued that her time on the bench has prepared her to oversee complex criminal cases and lead the office.
Chapa watched the results come in Tuesday night at Henry’s Puffy Tacos, where friends, family and supporters gathered around tables and cheered as early returns showed her leading the crowding field.
Speaking after the results, in a crowded restaurant with music blaring, Chapa said the numbers suggested Democratic voters want change.
“Clearly voters want change in the DA office from someone who is an outsider, who can fix all of the problems and who hasn’t been part of the dysfunction in the office,” Chapa said. “What I offer to the voters of Bexar County is a special skill set that reaches far beyond the criminal courtroom.”
Davis, 78, campaigned on her decades of prosecutorial experience and institutional knowledge. She framed her candidacy as a steady option capable of addressing staffing challenges and reducing case backlogs.
Unlike the festive atmosphere at Chapa’s gathering, Davis followed the results quietly at the Viva Politics office alongside her campaign manager.
When the results confirmed she would advance to the runoff, Davis said voters had reiterated the importance of having a candidate with experience in the DA’s office.
“I know how to try a case. I’ve tried everything from misdemeanors up through capital murders. My opponent has never tried a criminal case, never worked in a DA’s office and has absolutely no experience,” Davis said.”It is ludicrous to think that person can walk in on day one and know how to do anything.”
She said her background working under multiple district attorneys and across different sections of the office positions her to step in immediately and run the office effectively.
“I’ve worked for seven different district attorneys. I’ve worked in every section of the office, and I know how it should run,” she said.
The crowded Democratic field also included:
- Shannon Locke, a defense attorney and social media personality, who took 14.01%
- Veronica Legarreta, a defense attorney, who took 11.84%
- Oscar Salinas, a prosecutor in the DA’s office, who took 11.42%
- Meredith Chacon, a defense attorney and former prosecutor who ran for the position as a Republican in 2022, who took 8.93%
- Angelica “Meli” Carrión Powers, who oversees the Family Violence Division at the District Attorney’s Office, who took 6.30%
- James Bethke, executive director of Bexar County’s Managed Assigned Counsel Office, who took 5.56%
When Gonzales announced his retirement, several higher-profile candidates considered entering the race but ultimately passed on a position that has faced increasing scrutiny from both the left and right in recent years.
Since he took office conservative state leaders have passed laws making it easier to remove prosecutors they feel aren’t being tough on crime. That broader political pressure shaped a campaign centered on the future direction of one of Texas’ largest prosecutorial offices.
Campaign finance filings show that Chapa and Davis each invested significant personal resources into their campaigns. Chapa also received outside support from a PAC aligned with the police union, while Bethke drew backing from the progressive bail reform group Texas Organizing Project.
In the coming weeks, the two finalists will compete to consolidate support from voters who backed eliminated candidates and define the choice facing Democratic primary voters in the runoff.
Chapa said she plans to reach out to other candidates following the results.
“When the dust settles, I’d love to have a conversation with each of them,” she said. “Everyone has put their best foot forward, some not so much, but I’m looking forward to sitting down with each of them.”
Davis said she hopes supporters of the other candidates will prioritize experience leading the office.
“I’ve had some great opponents in the race, and I would hope that they would swing their supporters to me because they know and they care that this DA’s office is run well,” she said.
As it stands, other candidates have been piling on Chapa, who they say has dangerously little experience for the job. Meanwhile, Davis has already received the endorsement of Powers who received 9,956 votes.
