SAN ANTONIO — Former San Antonio City Councilman Clayton Perry will try to win the support of voters in next year's mayoral election, confirming to KENS 5 that he plans to run for what will be an open seat.
He becomes the sixth person to formally announce their intent to join the race. The position of mayor is capped at four terms, meaning Mayor Ron Nirenberg will vacate it next year after leading the city since he was first elected in 2017.
The election is scheduled for May 3, 2025.
"I'm very, very excited. I've been getting a lot of encouragement to run," the conservative-leaning Perry told KENS 5, pointing to his efforts to boost the city's police force and infrastructure funding while on council. "There's some folks that are trying to develop this city like a shiny city on the hill. That can't happen unless we address these underlying issues, primarily high crime, high tax rates that we have and poor infrastructure."
During his time in office, Perry was a vocal proponent of property tax relief for San Antonio homeowners. He also, in 2022, voted against the first CPS Energy rate hike in eight years.
But he sometimes went against the grain, particularly on symbolic resolutions. That included a 2021 vote to oppose anti-transgender legislation in which he was the only "nay," saying "oftentimes these resolutions bare no teeth and go beyond the ability and responsibility of council."
When the 2025 election arrives it will have been more than two years since Perry, who was first elected to City Council in 2017, announced he wouldn't seek a fourth term after pleading no contest to DWI charges related to his involvement in a hit-and-run.
Perry was charged with failure to stop after police said he hit a vehicle while driving home after a night of heavy drinking on Nov. 6, 2023. There were two people in the other car, but neither was seriously injured.
Court documents said he consumed 14 drinks within a four-hour period. A Bill Miller restaurant manager told police Perry appeared to be drunk and slurring his speech before trying to hand his wallet and keys to an employee while in the drive-thru, according to arrest records. His City Council colleagues responded by voting to censure him and Perry later received deferred adjudication to resolve his charges.
Three sitting council members are among those who have announced mayoral campaign plans, including Adriana Rocha Garcia, Manny Pelaez and John Courage. Also among the contenders is tech entrepreneur Beto Altamirano and former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos.