Saile Aranda
Assistant Editor
Early voting for the May 2025 mayoral election has already begun. Here are the top seven candidates according to the UTSA Central for Public Opinion poll, plus where and how you can vote for any of the 27 candidates.
Why vote? Young people need to be civically engaged, says Selene Torres-Chavez, campus organizer for MoveTAMUSA, a chapter of MOVE Texas, a nonprofit that works with young people on areas such as voter registration and issue advocacy
“If students don’t show up, if students aren’t engaged, they are not going to make sure their voices are heard, they are not going to have that opportunity to create that change that they want to see,” Torres said.
Early voting started on April 22 and will end next Tuesday on April 29. Election Day is from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Saturday, May 3.
Voters should know that since Proposition F was passed last year, it means elected members of city council, including the mayor, have four-year terms instead of two-year terms. Still, the term limit is eight total years.
Early Voting Map:
On election day, Texas A&M University-San Antonio will be one of the 294 voting locations across the city. To see the full map of locations, visit the Voter Registration Check & Polling Location tab in the Bexar County Elections Department’s website
Gina Ortiz Jones is the top runner for San Antonio’s mayor race according to the UTSA poll. She served as President Joe Biden’s under secretary of the Air Force from 2021 to 2023. A few of Ortiz Jones’ priorities include housing affordability, increasing the supply of affordable childcare and more transparency into how City Hall spends taxpayer dollars.
John Courage is a four-term council member for District 9, which covers the north central area of San Antonio. He is a former teacher who worked in education for 25 years. Courage advocates for tax relief, senior services programs and improved roads and public transit.
Beto Altamirano is the CEO & co-founder of Irys Technologies, a cybersecurity company that developed San Antonio’s 3-1-1 app. Altamirano’s focus is on improving public safety by using hot-spot policing, ensuring reliable infrastructure and economic development.
Manny Pelaez is an attorney and has been a councilman for District 8 for eight years, covering public issues in the northwest area of San Antonio. His top priorities are closing the digital divide by ensuring accessible internet, upgrading public transportation and improving downtown San Antonio.
Rolando Pablos is an attorney and the former Texas secretary of state under Gov. Greg Abbott for almost two years. His policies include a veteran action plan, supporting small businesses and an opposition to immigrant sanctuary city policies.
Melissa Cabello Havrda is the current councilwoman for District 6 since 2019. The district covers part of the Westside of San Antonio. She is a practicing attorney and Realtor and her priorities are creating jobs, lowering taxes and providing affordable and sustainable housing.
Adriana Rocha Garcia has served three terms since 2019 as councilwoman for District 4 that covers the south Westside of San Antonio. She is endorsed by the San Antonio-Express News and her focus is on expanding access to healthcare, making education a priority and strengthening public safety.
Here is a list of the acceptable forms of photo ID to vote:
- Texas Driver’s License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
- United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
- United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
- United States Passport (book or card)
Sources: candidates’ campaign websites and the Bexar County Elections Department’s website
Julian Arevalo contributed to this story.
