The midterm elections are over and as expected, the race for San Antonio's mayoral election, still six months away, has kicked into a higher gear.
Let's start with Mike Villarreal, who made it official last week by resigning his seat in the Texas Legislature. Villarreal's kickoff party, dubbed Homegrown Fest 2014, is November 16 (2-4:30 p.m.) at Maverick Park. Villarreal's wife, Jeanne Russell, announced on the Rivard Report that she is stepping down from her job as Chief Strategist at SA2020 to spend more time with her family as the mayoral race revs up.
State Senator Leticia Van de Putte lost the Lieutenant Governor's race to that nut ball Dan Patrick. Responding to media inquiries, Van de Putte released a weekend statement saying she is praying for mayoral-election guidance.
And we can't forget Mayor Ivy Taylor, who has gone from promising not to run for the position to saying a mayoral race depends on whether there is a groundswell of support for her. She tested those waters at an October 30 fundraiser at Club Giraud hosted by big-name business leaders like Red McCombs and Henry Cisneros. Taylor invited attendees to donate either $1,000 or $500. In San Antonio, a mayor can take campaign contributions regardless if they're running in an election.
Newcomer Paul Martinez, who has a military background and little to no name recognition, has also thrown his hat in the race, promising to take partisan politics out of the mayor's office.