SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio councilwoman says she plans to run for mayor next year, joining an already large field nine months before voters head to the ballot box.
Adriana Rocha Garcia was first elected to San Antonio City Council in 2019. She has been reelected twice since then, most recently in 2023, when she received about three-quarters of the votes against her lone opponent.
She currently represents District 4, which covers the south side between West Military, Commercial and FM 1957/Potranco Road, stretching past Loop 410.
"I think my experience as a councilwoman is going to greatly help with the campaign because I know that the issues that are important to the public aren't just about one neighborhood or one area," Rocha Garcia said Tuesday, adding that issues like quality of living, health care and safety are relevant to San Antonians all around the city.
"That's what San Antonians should want for one other and that's why I decided to run," Rocha Garcia said.
A lifelong resident of the city who considers southwest San Antonio home, Rocha Garcia grew up in a Spanish-speaking household and became the first in her family to earn a college degree. She attended the University of Incarnate Word for her bachelor's and later earned her doctorate at the University of Texas, according to the city's website.
Rocha Garcia is known to be passionate about organizations that help the most underrepresented populations in the city.
"There is a lot of things the city is going to be facing in the next few years and I feel that we need to have someone with a collaborative spirit—somebody who does their homework and understands the issues, knows how to ask tough questions," she told KENS 5. "I decided that I was the candidate that could do that. I hope to convince, over the next few months, the people of San Antonio that I am on their side and that I am here to help."
She is the first female candidate in the 2025 mayoral race, and third current City Council member to toss her hat in the ring, joining John Courage and Manny Pelaez. In May, tech entrepreneur and South Texas native Beto Altamirano also announced he would run to succeed Ron Nirenberg, who is currently in his last year serving in the term-limited office.
"I have entire community of support behind me so I felt like it was the right moment," Rocha Garcia said.
Voters head to the polls on May 3, 2025.
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