Early voting underway for San Antonio’s District 1 and District 7 council runoffs

Although San Antonio’s May citywide election ended in decisive victories for many candidates, the races to represent districts 1 and 7 on city council headed into runoffs.

Early voting for both of those contests began Tuesday, May 30, and ends on Tuesday, June 6. Election Day is June 10.

In District 1, freshman incumbent Mario Bravo, an environmental activist, won just 26% of the vote during the citywide election. Education consultant and political novice Sukh Kaur won 34%, sending the pair into a runoff.

Bravo’s faced the difficult task of appeasing businesses and neighborhood associations, who have been at odds over noise, parking, construction and other issues along the St. Mary’s Strip. He also received a public rebuke for unleashing a personal tirade at then-District 7 councilwoman Ana Sandoval last fall.

Meanwhile, Kaur has racked up endorsements from former District 1 candidate Jeremy Roberts and the Express-News, according to her Twitter page.

The District 7 runoff between computer scientist Dan Rossiter, who won 21% of the general-election vote, and nonprofit exec Marina Alderete Gavito, who won 43%, has received less media attention. District 7’s seat was left vacant in January after three-term councilwoman Sandoval left her post for a job at University Health.

San Antonio civil rights activist Rosie Castro — the mother of U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and former San Antonio mayor Julian Castro — filled the seat for the remainder of Sandoval’s unexpired term.

During a debate last week, Gavito said her priorities include public safety and creating more public parks in San Antonio, a city that was recently ranked among the U.S. cities with the least amount of green space.

Rossiter also hopes to focus on public safety. He’s pledged to expand investment in the police department and undertake improvements to animal control.

In both districts, polls are open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, May 30, to Friday, June 2, and 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, June 3, to Tuesday, June 6. Polls will be closed on Sunday, June 4.

Voting locations for the District 1 and 7 runoffs are available online.

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This article appears in May 17-30, 2023.