SAN ANTONIO — On Thursday, from the steps of San Antonio City Hall, District 9 representative John Courage announced his candidacy for mayor about 16 months before voters head to the polls.
He is the first to officially jump into the race.
Since the office is term-limited at four, Mayor Ron Nirenberg's current term is his last after he was reelected last year. He has held the seat since 2017, which is also when Courage was first elected to City Council.
"I have come to understand that city government is closest to the people and has the greatest impact on people's lives," Courage said Thursday.
Courage's journey in San Antonio began in 1975, when he enrolled in the University of Texas at San Antonio after serving four years in the U.S. Air Force. He was elected to the Alamo Community College District Board of Trustees in 1980 where he quickly established himself as a strong defender of access and accountability in the higher education system.
He also helped create more higher education opportunities in an area in the city that lacked them when he helped start up Palo Alto Community College.
"I want to move our city to achieve greater success in meeting the needs and expectations of all the residents of San Antonio," he said. "I want to create a stronger, better partnership between all of our citizens, our businesses large and small and your city government. I want to govern with you."
With Nirenberg now early in his fourth and final term, the May 2025 mayoral ballot will elect the city's first new mayor since 2017, when Nirenberg defeated incumbent Ivy Taylor.
Nirenberg is the city's first mayor of Asian Pacific/Islander decent. He served four terms as mayor and during that time, he adopted an equity framework in the city's budgeting to reduce poverty, improve public health and overcome socioeconomic inequality to accommodate San Antonio's rapid growth.