The mayor’s race dominates the May 9 City Election ballot, but there is much more awaiting voters. No matter where you live in the city, the leadership of your district is up for grabs. All 10 City Council incumbents are being challenged. Given the historic low voter turnout in non-Presidential election years, a small number of votes could decide the outcome, making each citizen’s vote matter.
After a season of turnover and uncertainty at City Hall, with multiple City Council chairs vacated and turned over to appointed members, all 10 districts and the mayor’s office will now go to candidates elected for full, two-year terms. Each incumbent, elected or appointed, faces one or more contenders. District 7 and District 9 voters will have five people on the ballot to choose from. District 6 and 10 voters will have only 2. Click here or scroll down to see a complete list of the candidates.
This election is the first time that Councilmembers Alan Warrick II (D2) and Roberto Treviño (D1) are running for a full term. Warrick was elected in a runoff election in December 2014 after former Councilmember Ivy Taylor was elected to serve out former Mayor Julián Castro’s unexpired third term. Warrick once again will face his nemesis, Keith Toney, who served as an appointed interim council member until the special election that led to Warrick’s election. The two candidates are miles away from each other on many issues – the most telling of which are their stances on rideshare. Warrick advocated for progressive regulations that will keep rideshare companies in town, Toney was passionately opposed to any regulatory compromise, siding with the traditional taxi industry. Warrick won 59-41% over Toney, yet out of 61,082 registered voters in the district, only 3,062 votes were cast during the runoff. That’s a cringe-worthy 5%.
Treviño was appointed in December 2014 after former council member Diego Bernal left to run a successful campaign for the state House District 123 seat vacated by Mike Villarreal to run for mayor.
The most contested district appears to be District 7 where Councilmember Cris Medina faces four challengers, including Mari Aguirre-Rodriguez, who was appointed by Council to serve a two month term while Medina, an Air Force reservist, took a leave of absence to receive Air Force public-relations training. His departure came soon after an anonymous email surfaced alleging financial misconduct by Medina that the council member has denied, even as former San Antonio Police Chief William McManus confirmed that Medina was the subject of a federal investigation. Some speculated that Medina timed his leave of absence to allow him to avoid the ensuing media circus, a charge he has vigorously denied.
With thousands of votes already cast, it’s not too late to cast yours. Early voting began Monday and continues through Tuesday, May 5. Election day is Saturday, May 9. Click here to find out more information about polling dates, times, and locations.
District 1:
Roberto C. Treviño (Incumbent)
Occupation: Architect
Age: 44
Years lived in San Antonio: 16
Years lived in district: 16
Occupation: Educator/Entrepreneur
Age: 40
Years lived in San Antonio: 1
Years lived in district: 1
Occupation: Tesoro contractor
Age: 33
Years lived in San Antonio: 4
Years lived in district: 4
Occupation: Self-employed
Age: 59
Years lived in San Antonio: 1
Years lived in district: 1
District 2:
Alan E. Warrick, II (Incumbent)
Occupation: CEO of World Technical Services, Inc.
Age: 34
Years lived in San Antonio: 8
Years lived in district: 6
Occupation: School Liaison Officer
Age: 62
Years lived in San Antonio: 22
Years lived in district: 10
Occupation: Independent Contract Driver/Self-employed
Age: 61
Years lived in San Antonio: 61
Years lived in district: 8
District 3:
Rebecca Viagran (Incumbent)
Occupation: Small Business Owner
Age: 40
Years lived in San Antonio: 40
Years lived in district: 40
Occupation: Private Chef
Age: 32
Years lived in San Antonio: 32
Years lived in district: 18
Occupation: Consultant
Age: 23
Years lived in San Antonio: 1
Years lived in district: 1
District 4:
Rey Saldaña (Incumbent)
Occupation: Chief of Engagement for KIPP Public Schools
Age: 28
Years lived in San Antonio: 28
Years lived in district: 28
Occupation: Self-employed
Age: 56
Years lived in San Antonio: 55
Years lived in district: 3
Occupation: Retired
Age: 59
Years lived in San Antonio: 59
Years lived in district: 30
District 5:
Shirley Gonzales (Incumbent)
Occupation: Business Owner
Age: 42
Years lived in San Antonio: 42
Years lived in district: 6
Occupation: Retired from COSA
Age: 72
Years lived in San Antonio: 72
Years lived in district: 72
Occupation: Educator
Age: 71
Years lived in San Antonio: 26
Years lived in district: 25
District 6:
Ray Lopez (Incumbent)
Occupation: Retired
Age: 65
Years lived in San Antonio: 30
Years lived in district: 30
Occupation: Disabled
Age: 54
Years lived in San Antonio: 9
Years lived in district: 9
District 7:
Cris Medina (Incumbent)
Occupation: councilmember
Age: 35
Years lived in San Antonio: 9
Years lived in district: 9
Occupation: semi-retired
Age: 63
Years lived in San Antonio: 19
Years lived in district: 7
Occupation: small business owner
Age: 36
Years lived in San Antonio: 14
Years lived in district: 8
Occupation: small business owner
Age: 60
Years lived in San Antonio: 51
Years lived in district: 18
Occupation: attorney
Age: 56
Years lived in San Antonio: 20
Years lived in district: 20
District 8:
Ron Nirenberg (Incumbent)
Occupation: consultant
Age: 38
Years lived in San Antonio: 18
Years lived in district: 6
Occupation: tax consultant & taxi driver
Age: 38
Years lived in San Antonio: 14
Years lived in district: 14
Occupation: college and career readiness advisor
Age: 48
Years lived in San Antonio: 2
Years lived in district: 1
Occupation: director of IT
Age: 39
Years lived in San Antonio: 1
Years lived in district: 9 months
District 9:
Joe Krier (Incumbent)
Occupation: consultant
Age: 69
Years lived in San Antonio: 40
Years lived in district: 14
Occupation: consultant
Age: 50
Years lived in San Antonio: 14
Years lived in district: 14
Occupation: investor
Age: 53
Years lived in San Antonio: 9
Years lived in district: 2 (7 previously)
Occupation: educator
Age: 58
Years lived in San Antonio: 6
Years lived in district: 6
Occupation: retired United States Air Force colonel
Age: 79
Years lived in San Antonio: 35
Years lived in district: 2
District 10:
Mike Gallagher (Incumbent)
Occupation: councilmember
Age: 68
Years lived in San Antonio: 17
Years lived in district: 17
Occupation: member engagement specialist
Age: 47
Years lived in San Antonio: 42
Years lived in district: 16
*Featured/top image: San Antonians cast their vote at the Central Library polling location.
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When asked in an AMA on the r/sanantonio subreddit a five part question by reddit user Agent Deckard that included Uber vs. Yellow Cab? Mayweather vs Pacquiao? Van de Putte vs. Villareal? How did you find out about reddit and other than r/sanantonio, what have you checked out? And is that a bulldog on the sofa with you in the photo?, Candidate Keith Toney provided a much more nuanced answer to the Uber/Lyft controversy than what Iris and Joan give him credit for here.
Link to original: http://www.reddit.com/r/sanantonio/comments/33nclt/i_am_keith_toney_city_council_candidate_for/cqnidqa
Keith Toney’s answer:
“Uber VS Yellow Cab I’m for whatever is best for my constituents. Unlike our taxi companies, Uber has said they will not guarantee they won’t “redline” parts of our city. They also would not transport our wheelchair-bound residents. But ultimately the answer regarding Uber and taxi companies is more complex.
Yes, we want Uber and Lyft in San Antonio and I will to get them back to the city, but we need appropriate safeguards. Safeguards which will hopefully prevent what happened to the San Francisco passenger who was recently assaulted by a driver whose felony convictions were missed by an Uber background check from happening here. There have also been several rape cases across the country involving Uber and Lyft drivers.
Then there is Robert Trevino, Councilman D1, who says Uber co-authored the ordinance they now reject. If that is the case, I won’t have much sympathy for them. The ordinance asked for a ten point fingerprint check which is something Uber has already agreed to in other cities. Why should Uber expect us to take the safety of our citizen any less seriously?
I also think it would behoove the local taxi companies to adopt some of Uber and Lyft’s best practices such as driver ratings and if they don’t already have one, an app for their service.
Something on the horizon that may change the transportation for hire industry across the board is a class action suit in Massachusetts. The premise is that drivers for Uber as well as city taxis are misclassified as independent contractors which unfairly denies them benefits due employees. The verdict could dictate sweeping changes for app driven sharing economy companies and taxi companies alike. Well beyond the scope of what my role would be as a city council member is the need to perhaps create a new classification of employee. A third category between an employee and a contractor.
But we do need a line in the sand. If a gig economy company ultimately pays its workers less than minimum wage, it probably shouldn’t exist. American workers fought long and hard to secure what rights we now have and technological innovation is no reason to give up those rights.
Winner: Riders who will have better safer choices.”