Eight residents applied to challenge incumbent Ron Nirenberg, who is seeking a fourth and final term as mayor of San Antonio in the May 6 election.
Per city code, the two candidates who receive the most votes but fail to collect 50% or more of the total vote May 6 will go to a June runoff.
Read Q&As with each candidate below. Candidates were asked to keep responses under 100 words, answer three provided questions and avoid attacking their opponent.
Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.
Diana Flores Uriegas, Michael Idrogo, Armando Dominguez, Gary Allen and Michael Samaniego did not respond to Community Impact's voter guide questionnaire.
Early voting will be held April 24-May 2. Election day is May 6.
Christopher Longoria
Experience:
35 years of professional photography business management, U.S. Navy
Occupation:
Bakery dishwasher
Contact Information:
[email protected]
If elected, what would your top priorities be?
Increase the San Antonio Police Department by 300 officers; asking present officers to not retire until city grows the force and restoring respect back to a noble profession; reduce homelessness in trying a different approach than the present one; encourage landowners to disallow littering or vagrants to live on properties with code enforcement issues; enforce panhandling laws; allow for more 72-hour and 14-day emergency mental health holds for those experiencing a mental health crisis, or those unwilling or unable to accept voluntary treatment for substance abuse; cut city spending on failed pet projects
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the city?
Crime, homelessness, spending<br>
What or who prompted you to run for election?
Crime in the city of San Antonio, leftist policies destroying the city and tyrannical leadership during COVID-19 pandemic
Ray Adam Basaldua
Occupation:
Business owner
Candidate Website:
https://www.basaldua4mayor.com/
Contact Information:
[email protected]
If elected, what would your top priorities be?
If elected, my top priority would be to expose all politicians for leaving children defenseless and without governance, and to rid City Hall of politics.<br>
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the city?
Political corruption, gross misuse of government immunity, child abuse, homelessness and crime
What or who prompted you to run for election?
When I discovered there was no governing body over education from birth to 5 years of age, and that there is no rule of law in place to protect children’s civil rights
Diana Flores Uriegas
Occupation:
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
If elected, what would your top priorities be?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the city?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
What or who prompted you to run for election?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
Ron Nirenberg
Experience:
Three terms as mayor, previously District 8 council member, entrepreneur and director of civic engagement efforts
Occupation:
Mayor
Candidate Website:
https://voteron.com/
Contact Information:
[email protected]
If re-elected, what would your top priorities be?
We made a commitment to break the generational cycle of poverty and ensure that every San Antonio family has the opportunity to thrive. In the midst of a pandemic, San Antonio voters passed [the] Ready to Work [workforce training program] with over 70% support at the polls. In my next term, we’ll make sure programs, such as Ready to Work and Alamo PROMISE, meet that mission, continue our 10-year commitment to an affordable housing supply and protect public safety with more officers to meet the needs of a growing city.<br>
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the city?<br>
In today’s economy, education is currency, and upskilling is key to future-proofing one’s career. That’s why I continue to promote Ready to Work and Alamo PROMISE to increase certifications and education necessary to compete for higher-paying jobs. By developing a skilled workforce, we’re raising the median income in San Antonio, which has lagged other cities, and we’re helping businesses expand and attract new investment. This is a long-term commitment, which is why I also remain focused on affordability, from lower property tax rates to CPS Energy bills, and seeing through our commitment to an affordable housing supply.<br>
What or who prompted you to run for re-election?
Serving the people of San Antonio has been the honor of a lifetime. The best part about local government is you get the chance to solve problems hands-on. Too often politics in our country is used as a weapon of division and polarization. It reminds me of what a fellow Texan, House Speaker Sam Rayburn said years ago: “Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one.” When given the choice between making a statement or making a difference, I choose to be a carpenter, because San Antonio is a city of carpenters.<br>
Michael Idrogo
Occupation:
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
If elected, what would your top priorities be?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the city?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
What or who prompted you to run for election?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
Armando Dominguez
Occupation:
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
If elected, what would your top priorities be?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the city?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
What or who prompted you to run for election?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
Gary Allen
Occupation:
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
If elected, what would your top priorities be?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the city?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
What or who prompted you to run for election?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
Christopher T. Schuchardt
Experience:
Created a multimillion-dollar business before I was 28 years old, providing a payroll to 50-plus employees and subcontractors
Occupation:
Business owner
Candidate Website:
https://schuchardtformayor.com/
Contact Information:
[email protected]
If elected, what would your top priorities be?
As mayor my goal would be to refocus City Council on the top three items I feel the mayor and council have a mandate over: safety of our streets and neighborhoods; maintaining and upgrading our infrastructure; and ensuring the health of our local economy so as to protect the middle class while also creating the opportunities needed for others to join the middle class. <br>
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the city?
Crime is the No. 1 issue. We've seen an explosion of property crimes and violence over the last four years. Crime must be reigned in so that our streets are safe. Once our streets are safe we must make sure our streets are in good condition. Good streets attract good business. Good business creates good jobs. Good jobs make for good neighborhoods.
What or who prompted you to run for election?
Tired of crime, but even more tired of our current mayor and council creating solutions for problems that don't exist, while real problems we face go largely ignored. Our current city government is distracted with issues the federal government has spent trillions of dollars on and not been able to solve. Many of the same problems our city suffers from are the same problems we had 25 years ago. The only difference is the city government has billions more of our tax dollars and thousands more employees.
Michael Samaniego
Occupation:
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
If elected, what would your top priorities be?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the city?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
What or who prompted you to run for election?
Candidate did not respond as of press time.
