San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, most council incumbents cruise to easy victory in election

Voters in San Antonio’s citywide election overwhelmingly reelected Mayor Ron Nirenberg for a fourth and final term and rewarded most incumbent council members with easy reelection.

By the time of Saturday’s finally tally, Nirenberg had secured nearly 61% of votes in a contest where he faced little competition from experienced and well-funded opponents.

“A lot of people asked me, ‘Why did you run this campaign so hard?'” Nirenberg told supporters at his victory party at the Friendly Spot in Southtown. “First of all, that’s what this job requires. We’re not playing here. We’re here to build a city where my son, your children, your grandchildren will inherit better than what we have today.”

District 1 was the sole council seat that didn’t end with clear victory for the incumbent. First-term Councilman Mario Bravo secured just 26% of the vote, while challengers Sukh Kaur and Jeremy Roberts won nearly 34% and 22%, respectively, forcing a runoff.

District 7 — one of two open council seats — also is headed to a runoff since no candidate pulled in more than half of the vote. Marina Alderete Gavito was frontrunner in that contest with nearly 43%.

Meanwhile, Marc Whyte emerged as the clear victor in the District 10, the other open seat. He landed just shy of 60%. 

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This article appears in May 3-16, 2023.