Democratic Socialists of America-backed Ric Galvan will represent Westside District 6 — adding another progressive voice to San Antonio’s left-leaning council.

Galvan defeated labor organizer Kelly Ann Gonzalez in a runoff by 25 votes on Saturday, finishing 50.1% to 49.9%

“This community is all of ours,” Galvan said at his watch party, full of emotion, surrounded by his supporters and media. “We are going to be putting out working families first, we are going to be taking care of the folks here and we are going to support them every step of the way. The work does not stop here, it only begins now.” 

In an unusual race, the two progressive activists-turned-candidates advanced from an eight-way race to represent San Antonio’s politically swingy West Side. 

Galvan is a 24-year-old progressive political organizer who currently works as a special projects manager in the District 5 office for Teri Castillo and had the backing of a slew of local unions.

Gonzalez is a 34-year-old labor organizer who completed a leadership program for progressive candidates and last year led the city employees’ union’s push to amend the City Charter so that city employees could participate in local elections.

Either candidate would have been a new direction for a district that’s long elected more centrist members.

For the past six years it’s been represented by Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda (D6), a moderate Democrat, and before that, conservative former Councilman Greg Brockhouse. 

Galvan will now join a 10-member council that’s had two Democratic Socialists of America-backed members on it since 2021 — Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez (D2) and Castillo.

Another progressive, Edward Mungia, was elected to replace a more centrist incumbent in District 4 in the May 3 race, and Mayor-elect Gina Ortiz Jones won her runoff Saturday night.

“Tonight is a really great night for progressives,” McKee-Rodriguez said Saturday of Galvan and Jones’ victories. 

A friendly race

It was shortly before 10 p.m. and Galvan had sat down to enjoy a piece of a celebratory cookie and drink some water at Viola’s Ventanas. He was rushed from behind by his volunteers who had just refreshed their screens to find out the final numbers with all 182 voting centers reported. 

“I have to thank my family, my partner, everybody here who has done the hard work of getting out to the grassroots and supporting me from behind too, making sure that I was ready to get out there,” Galvan said.

He took a moment to thank Gonzalez, for running an amicable campaign that he was proud to describe as one focused on their platforms and not on attacking each other.

“We were neck and neck the entire time,” he said. “We shared sunscreen, we shared water. Thank you for having a gracious campaign. I know we are going to keep working together to make sure that all of our district feels supported.”

With little time to differentiate themselves in the runoff, both Galvan and Gonzalez sought to broaden their appeal beyond progressive circles.

Galvan met with the San Antonio Police Officers’ Association (SAPOA) and nearly secured its endorsement in the runoff. 

He lost the union’s support when its leaders received word he was backed by the police reform group Act4SA, but SAPOA Vice President Johnny Perez, who chairs the group’s PAC, said he was still encouraged by their meeting with Galvan. 

“We had breakfast and it was a really good conversation,” Perez said.” He’s got family in public safety and he seemed to have a good grasp on what the district needs.”

Gonzalez, meanwhile, played an integral role in getting a police reform measure on San Antonio’s ballot in 2023, but walked back her support for the broader initiative in a recent runoff debate, saying she only got involved because of an abortion decriminalization provision. 

She in turn received help from the business-backed Better SA, which worked against the 2023 ballot proposition, and ran digital ads for her in the runoff saying she would “improve public safety, support local businesses and prioritize public education.”

Gonzalez received the early voting results at the restaurant El Gallito Sinaloense, to the sound of live Banda music. 

She was surrounded by her family, campaign volunteers and friends, some who arrived fresh from the polls wearing green campaign shirts and carrying posters. 

“I’m very proud of the campaign that me and my team have run,” Gonzalez said. “We always knew it would be very close.”

Gonzalez said she would be ready to work with Galvan at any capacity that she can to improve District 6 and the city of San Antonio as a whole.

The message to her supporters was, “Thank you. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for opening your doors to my campaign, to my message, to my team. And regardless of what happens here tonight, the fight isn’t over because the fight here is for a better San Antonio.”