SAN ANTONIO — Democrat Joe Gonzales is on track to defeat Republican challenger Marc LaHood and serve as Bexar County district attorney for another term.
Gonzales collected 57% of the early vote to 43% for LaHood, and continues leading by that margin with a majority of the community's polling sites reporting Election Day ballots.
Results for Gonzales and LaHood will continue tabulating below as votes are counted.
Gonzales has been involved in various high-profile cases as Bexar County district attorney, and was one of many big-city DAs in Texas to say in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade's overturning that he wouldn't pursue charges against most women who seek an abortion.
He and LaHood held different stances on the abortion debate. LaHood told the local chapter of the League of Women Voters that "there is no law" when the district attorney decides to ignore what's been established by legislators, an indication that he would prosecute abortion cases as they're presented to him.
Gonzales ran unopposed in the Democratic primary to secure his spot on the general election ballot. LaHood easily defeated Meredith Chacon in the Republican primary to win the nomination.
Who is Joe Gonzales?
The incumbent is a west-San Antonio native who graduated from St. Mary's University School of Law in 1988, going on to start his career in family law as a trial prosecutor in Bexar County.
Gonzales continued his legal career while briefly in Houston in the '90s, where he was "promoted to court chief prosecutor" in a Harris County juvenile court. He later opened his own law office after returning to the Alamo City, from which he worked as a criminal defense attorney for more than two decades.
He is a proponent of destroying guns used in crimes and created a new policy of releasing nonviolent offenders without bail as an equitable way of battling limited space in the Bexar County jail. He prioritizes prosecuting violent offenders over low-level offenses, as well as considering bond recommendations on a case-by-case basis.
Who is Marc LaHood?
Also a San Antonio native, LaHood specialized in state and federal criminal defense after his graduation from St. Mary's University School of Law in 2007.
Having endured family tragedy as a child, LaHood is focused on advocating for mental health assistance and awareness. He touts himself as "the only candidate with the unique experience to rebuild our relationship with law enforcement, enforce the law without an agenda and ensure criminals are prosecuted under the law."
If elected, LaHood said he would crack down on gateway crimes that could lead to more severe offenses down the road, as well as "fight any effort to defund our police." He also says he would fight drug trafficking and commit to prosecuting migrants arrested for crimes in the county.
