If elected, she would be the first Latina to hold the office.
Author: Michael Karlis (The Current)
District 4 Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia revealed during a Tuesday appearance on KSAT-TV that she's running for mayor of San Antonio.
Rocha Garcia is the first woman to officially announce her candidacy in the race to replace termed-out Mayor Ron Nirenberg. If elected, she would be the third woman ever to hold the office, behind Lila Cockrell and Ivy Taylor. She would be the city's first Latina mayor, if she triumphs in next year's race.
“Personally, I want to run because I want to help people,” Rocha Garcia told the local ABC affiliate. “And it’s going to be a difficult few years that are ahead for the City of San Antonio. And that’s why I decided to go ahead and run.”
The third-term councilwoman will need to cover considerable ground to catch up in race that got off to an early start.
Rocha Garcia only had $24,000 in her campaign account in July, according to the latest campaign finance reports. What’s more, she's competing against candidates including District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez, District 9 Councilman John Courage and tech entrepreneur Beto Altamirano, all of whom announced runs months ago and have a jump on building their war chests.
Even so, Rocha Garcia, an associate marketing professor at Our Lady of the Lake University, has made a name for herself as a detail-oriented, policy-focused, no-bullshit policymaker.
During the pandemic, she got Metro Health to distribute door hangers informing people about the dangers of COVID-19. She also previously served on the city’s citizen-appointed ethics board and was among the most vocal advocates for a Code of Conduct for council members.
Rocha Garcia told KSAT her campaign will focus on fiscal responsibility and reducing crime.
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