By SVREP Vice President Lydia Camarillo @lcamarillo1
Mayor Taylor is in trouble in her fight to keep her seat for a second term. Incumbent Mayor’s are rarely forced into run-offs in big cities.
Mayor Taylor was appointed to serve the unexpired term of Mayor Julian Castro when he was tapped to serve as Obama’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Taylor promised the City Council she would not run but she did anyway - against a similar number of challengers in the 2017 election cycle.
In the 2015 runoff Taylor defeated Senator Leticia Van De Putte, the frontrunner who had garnered the largest number of votes in the May 2015 elections. Taylor won with an unlikely coalition of African Americans and conservative/Republican voters from the northside.
This time, according to preliminary numbers, Taylor did well in the eastside with a strong support from the African American vote. However, it seems she lost precincts in some pockets of the northside where conservative voters reside.
Councilmember Ron Nirenberg, the challenger with the second highest voter support, could prevail if 3rdplace finisher Manuel Medina throws his Latino support to Nirenberg. Moreover, District 8, 9, and 10 run-off mobilization efforts should benefit Nirenberg.
San Antonio also cast its vote in support of the $850-million dollar City Bond and the $450 million dollar Alamo College bond. Voters decisively voted in favor of both bonds during the early vote phase and support mirrored the early vote results on election day.
The surprise on election night was the ouster of Councilmember Chris Medina in District 7. A stunning surprise by Ana Sandoval with 50.79% of the vote. Councilmembers Rebecca Viagran, Shirley Gonzalez, Rey Saldana each won reelection.
Mayor Taylor and Councilmember Ron Nirenberg are headed to the polls once again on June 10th. Mayoral run-off turnout while usually low should be excited somewhat by run-off elections in Districts 1, 2, 6, 8,9, and 10. It should be interesting.
At any rate let’s all show the world what mobilized San Antonio can do on June 10th. Let’s vote in homage to the late great Willie Velasquez, celebrated by the State of Texas on May 9 every year.
Su Voto Es Su Voz
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