SAN ANTONIO — Mayor Ron Nirenberg is officially running for re-election after filing the requisite paperwork with the city clerk on Thursday.
A fourth term for Nirenberg, who has held San Antonio's highest elected office since 2017, would be his last one as the position is term-limited. Announcing his candidacy on social media, Nirenberg said he plans to "run an aggressive campaign" ahead of the May 6 city election.
"It's been the honor of a lifetime to serve this community," he said in an Instagram post. "I’m grateful, I’m excited, I’m optimistic about the future. All the work that we’ve been doing across the city has been leading us up to this moment."
As of Thursday evening three other candidates have filed their applications for the post: Christopher Longoria, Ray Adam Basaldua and Diana Flores Uriegas. Basaldua, a Corpus Christi native and local business owner, is the only one of the three to have run for mayor before, in 2021.
After needing runoffs to secure victory in 2017 and 2019, Nirenberg handily won re-election in 2021, when he collected almost twice as many votes as primary challenger Greg Brockhouse.
If he wins in May, Nirenberg would be the first person since Henry Cisneros in the ‘80s to serve four straight terms. Lila Cockrell served a fourth and final term from 1989 to 1991, having previously held office from 1975 to 1981.
The deadline to apply for mayor is 5 p.m. on Feb. 17.
Meanwhile, City Council is bracing for multiple competitive races in individual districts amid recent drama involving city representatives. All 10 seats are up for re-election, but some are drawing more attention from competitors.
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