San Antonio Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda confirms mayoral bid

San Antonio Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda on Wednesday officially launched her widely anticipated bid to become San Antonio’s first Latina mayor.

Cabello Havrda, who represents the West Side’s District 6, introduced her entry into the already crowded race with a short speech at City Hall. During a press conference focused on pocketbook issues, she portrayed herself as a problem solver unafraid to speak up for everyone in the community.

“This race isn’t about me, it’s about all of us,” said Cabello Havrda, 50. “It’s about families working paycheck to paycheck, it’s about grandparents raising their grandkids, it’s about veterans and their families who have given us so much. And most of all, it’s about those neighbors who love their city so much and just want San Antonio to love them back.”

Cabello Havrda joins more than a dozen likely candidates vying to replace Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who can’t run again due to term limits. Two of the hopefuls — Manny Pelaez and Adriana Rocha Garcia — currently sit on council, and former Councilman Clayton Perry also is running.

Yet another candidate, former U.S. Air Force Under Secretary Gina Ortiz Jones, also made her bid official on Wednesday.

Cabello Havrda, a lawyer who focuses on federal disability cases, was first elected to council in 2019, landing the seat in a tight runoff. While she didn’t draw much attention during her first term, a series of high-profile policy wins and risky political maneuvers have since raised her profile.

Earlier this year, the councilwoman successfully fought to ensure that city-owned utility CPS Energy returned money it makes through sales of excess electrical power so it can offset consumer rate hikes.

She was also the behind an ordinance passed last year that would bar city contractors from future work if they can’t deliver on budget or on time. The proposal came to the floor as numerous delayed construction projects raised the blood pressure of commuters and local business owners.

In a less-successful moment, Cabello Havrda this summer led a call for City Attorney Andy Segovia to resign over what she claimed was a history of offering inconsistent legal advice. Ultimately, that move fizzled, drawing criticism from colleagues on the dais, though four others joined her call for Segovia’s resignation.

During her City Hall presser, Cabello Havrda said her willingness to think outside the box to solve problems sets her apart from other council members in the mayoral race.

“There’s been a lot of pushback from some of my colleagues, and some of them that are running for mayor, and I think that differentiates me,” she said. “I’m not afraid to go out on a limb to make sure that our city is prosperous.”

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This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 10, 2024.