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With longtime Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda stepping down to run for San Antonio mayor, eight candidates are vying to represent District 6 on the San Antonio City Council.
The May 3 election will determine who fills the open seat. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a June 7 runoff. Council members elected this year will serve four-year terms under new rules approved by voters last November.
District 6 encompasses parts of San Antonio’s far West Side, where rapid development has collided with infrastructure gaps. Candidates have focused on traffic safety, affordable housing, public safety, animal care and the city’s responsiveness to neighborhood concerns.
The crowded race features a mix of former city staffers, educators, organizers and veterans who would like to represent the fast-growing district.
Vanessa Chavez, a 30-year public servant and former City Council district director, is campaigning on her deep experience navigating City Hall.
“This district deserves a representative who knows the community, understands the system and can hit the ground running on Day 1,” Chavez said.
Chavez’s “Neighborhoods First” plan includes opening a field office on Saturdays, conducting neighborhood needs assessments, prioritizing street repairs, public safety and homelessness.
Ric Galvan, a City Hall staffer and president of the Pipers Meadow Neighborhood Association, emphasized affordability and infrastructure.
“With District 6 taking on a lot of San Antonio’s rapid growth, many of our working families, like my own, have experienced significant challenges,” Galvan said, highlighting housing costs, traffic safety and public investment in underserved areas.
Bobby Herrera, who represented the district in the 1990s, is running again. Herrera said his leadership is rooted in experience and “deeds, not words.”
“I have the ability coupled with the onus to help our district grow,” Herrera said, citing aggressive driving, elder care and transparent city spending as his campaign’s top concerns.
Lawson Alaniz-Picasso, a former council staffer and marketing professional, is focused on responsiveness and quality-of-life issues, from street lighting to illegal dumping.
“These may seem like basic issues, but they have a real impact on quality of life,” Alaniz-Picasso said.
Her platform includes improved 311 responsiveness, enhanced beautification efforts and expanded resources for Animal Care Services.
Chris Baecker, an economics teacher at BASIS Middle School and Northwest Vista College, is calling for City Council to return to its core responsibilities.
“Until all stray/aggressive animals are under control, streets are sufficiently maintained and lit, we have no time or resources for taxpayer-funded boondoggles,” Baecker said. He opposes large-scale transportation projects like rail lines and symbolic resolutions on global issues, saying they distract from basic city services.
Baecker also wants to reduce the city’s property tax rate and remove red tape for small businesses.
“From one side of their mouth, Council promotes small businesses, ‘shop local,’ etc.,” Baecker said. “From the other, they funnel taxpayer dollars to billion-dollar companies.”
The remaining candidates include Kelly Ann Gonzalez, a labor organizer; Carlos Antonio Raymond, a U.S. Army veteran and realtor; and Gerald Lopez, a former Northside ISD board member and current trustee at Alamo Colleges.
As of publication, KSAT has reached out to Gonzalez, Raymond and Lopez but has not received responses.
Early voting begins Tuesday, April 22 and runs through April 29. Election Day is Saturday, May 3. For a list of important dates for the May 3 election and potential June 7 runoff, click here.
More election coverage from KSAT:
- The San Antonio mayor and council races are set. Could the ballot order sway the outcome of a packed race?
- DATES: 2025 election dates, deadlines you need to know about in Bexar County
- 🗳 FULL BALLOT: May 3 joint general, special, charter and bond election in Bexar County
- Who’s running for San Antonio City Council in the May 2025 election?
