“Liberal Ron” wants to stop job growth, water supply projects, bring the “nanny state” to San Antonio, and “save the bats,” according to the website www.liberalron.com paid for by Mayor Ivy Taylor’s re-election campaign.

It’s the most aggressive, public shot fired so far by either side ahead of the June 10 runoff election between Taylor and Councilman Ron Nirenberg (D8).

Taylor’s campaign consultant Colin Strother confirmed Thursday that they are “absolutely” responsible for the site.

“Unlike the Nirenberg campaign, when we do stuff, we put our name on it – we take ownership of it and that’s what we did with this,” Strother told the Rivard Report. “They’ve already have been posting and sharing things on Facebook without owning it.”

The website offers several parody items including “Nirenberg Unveils New Campaign Slogan, Regrets Old One,” a special offer for “Official ‘Liberal Ron’ flip flops,” and a countdown until new content will be posted. The main theme is that Nirenberg has changed position on issues like the Vista Ridge water pipeline and Mission Trails rezoning case.

“It’s been a very serious campaign thus far and we just thought we’d lighten it up and have a little fun,” Strother said.

Kelton Morgan, Nirenberg’s campaign manager, isn’t laughing.

“I get that desperate people do desperate things, but this kind of 12-year-old, playground bully tactic is ridiculous,” Morgan told the Rivard Report. “And the mayor should be embarrassed. The people of San Antonio certainly are embarrassed for her, that’s one reason 58% of them don’t want her to be mayor anymore.”

Taylor collected 42% of the vote in the May 6 general election, while Nirenberg finished with 37%.

Nirenberg was recently endorsed by several prominent Democratic figures including former Mayor and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, U.S. Rep. Joaquín Castro (D-Texas), and former District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal who is now a state representative. Taylor has received an endorsement from former Democratic state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff.

“Liberal Ron” pushes partisan politics even further into the middle of a supposedly non-partisan municipal race. Both candidates claim to want to keep it a non-partisan race and represent all San Antonians, no matter their political affiliation.

Taylor’s campaign has purchased several radio spots to promote the website on WOAI and KTSA radio stations, both of which fall squarely on the conservative end of the political spectrum.

“We’re buying in places that have the highest ratings” and biggest audience, Strother said, who anticipates buying even more spots during drive-time. “Those are the two big dogs.”

This isn’t the first digital tactic in the Taylor-Nirenberg battle. In December last year, local tech entrepreneur Brad Parscale purchased RonForSA.org and redirected traffic to Mayor Ivy Taylor’s re-election website, VoteIvy.com.

“We knew absolutely nothing about this. Parscale did this entirely on his own,” Taylor campaign spokesman Greg Jefferson told the Rivard Report at the time. Then later, he added, “Since we didn’t ask Parscale to do this, it’s not our place to ask him to undo it. If Ron’s campaign is upset about it, they should contact Parscale.”

Someone else anonymously purchased IvyForSA.org and forwarded traffic to VoteRon.com. Nirenberg’s campaign stated it was not associated with that website.

Parscale stopped the redirect soon after media reports of the cyber trick, as did whomever purchased IvyForSA.org.

IvyForSA.com redirects to President Donald Trump’s Twitter account.

When running for the District 8 spot in 2013, Nirenberg’s campaign purchased www.rolandobriones.com, which labeled his opponent Rolando Briones as unethical and called into question his political affiliations, according to an archived column by Brian Chasnoff for the San Antonio Express-News.

As for the “flip-flops,” Nirenberg did say during a during a recent event at the project site that “knowing what we know now,” he would have voted “no” on the Mission Trails rezoning case. 

Taylor supported the zoning change, too, but she was out of town for the Council vote. She recently told the Rivard Report that she still agrees with the zoning change that displaced at least 100 people to make way for a luxury apartment complex.

Nirenberg’s criticism of contract changes and transparency issues involved in the Vista Ridge water pipeline, even though he voted in favor of the project, Taylor has said, is also cause for concern. The Councilman is supportive of the water supply project, but wants greater oversight of the project.

Early voting begins on Tuesday, May 30 and ends on June 6. For voting locations and times, click here.

Editor’s note: The headline of this article has been updated for clarity.

Senior Reporter Iris Dimmick covers public policy pertaining to social issues, ranging from affordable housing and economic disparity to policing reform and mental health. She was the San Antonio Report's...

15 replies on “Taylor Camp Launches ‘Liberal Ron’ Website”

  1. I’m disappointed that Ivy Taylor continues to accuse Mr. Nirenberg of hypocrisy. Isn’t she the same person who refused to shake hands with Senator Van de Putte during the last Mayoral election…and then turned around and accepted her endorsement for no other reason than political expediency.

    And when speaking of the Police Union Contract that Ms. Taylor supported, Ms. Van de Putte stated that “Ivy was more generous than I would’ve been.”

    A liberal, tax spending State Senator acknowledged that Ms. Taylor was even more generous with taxpayer dollars than she herself would’ve been!

    What other evidence would you need to know that voting for Ron Nirenberg is in the best interests of San Antonio?

    1. Not to mention how Taylor started this whole thing, swearing she wasn’t going to run for election, that she was only taking the interim mayor role, then hey! Running for mayor? Does she think we are so stupid that we don’t remember that? Mayor Taylor is a shady person running a shady and unethical mayor’s office and mayoral campaign. It’s time for her to go.

  2. Way to go, Strother. You and Ivy working overtime to keep it lame.

    Beneath the office of Mayor of San Antonio.

  3. I thought the gloves were never going to come off. I love it maybe more will come out about both candidates. It will only benefits at community when strong discussion occurs in an election. Who knows maybe will start talking about each others power brokers, lobbyist, developers and special interest groups that are involved City Hall.

    Keeping the conversation all rosie, without attacks and serious discussion about each other is not to the benefit of the community. Let them duke it out, the only ones that can benefit is that community.

  4. This is hilarious!!!! About time we get some good ole fashioned fun in this campaign.

  5. When Ivy shared her belief about poor people not being right with God is UNFORGIVABLE. Certainly doesn’t qualify her as mayor of San Antonio.

  7. its pretty obvious Colin strother doesn’t have any original ideas so he’s borrowing from the trump camp

  8. Taylor began with a big fat lie and got greedy.So she ran again . Then she threw out the riverboat vote. She has not been a good Mayor for SA. We need someone with vision.
    I do not like Castro but feel Ron can overcome his support. Castro should go to jail for what he did at HUD. And Ron can follow his vision for SA.

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