SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio City Council is set. According to the city for the second time in San Antonio history, women will be the majority on council. There will be six women on the dais along with five men including Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
The new soon-to-be council members who recently won their respective run-off elections are District One Councilwoman-elect Dr. Sukh Kaur and District 7 Councilwoman-elect Marina Alderete Gavito.
"I am excited," Alderete Gavito said. "And I am ready to get to work."
When asked about being newly-elected, Kaur said it is taking some time on getting accustomed to the new title.
"It is a little weird," she said. "I was at an interview Saturday, and I said when I am elected and then I am like wait -- I guess I can say now that I am elected."
Kaur defeated incumbent Mario Bravo on Saturday night. Kaur won the seat with 59.1% of the vote to Bravo's 40.9%. District 1 covers downtown and much of the north side between I-10 and Highway 281, stretching up to Loop 410.
"My background is in public education," she said. "So, I have been engaging the community and working to see the systemic barriers that exist."
Kaur said her number one priority is infrastructure. She talked about mending the relationship between the district and business owners specifically along the St. Mary's Strip.
"We need to repair trust that has been broken," she said. "At the end of the day, we need our businesses because they provide jobs and are important for economic development."
Marina Alderete Gavito held off Dan Rossiter on Saturday night. Alderete Gavito had 62.2% of the vote to Rossiter's 37.8%. District 7 covers a section of the west side stretching from Zarzamora to Loop 1604, including the Woodlawn Lake and Jefferson neighborhoods, along with a portion of the Medical Center.
"I took the time to connect with residents," she said "I took the time to listen to their concerns."
Alderete Gavito comes from the tech sector, and said public safety is her number priority. She highlighted different issues.
"There is an increase concern in the homeless population," she said. "It is not compassionate to let them live on sides of roads where cars are going by there at 60 mph. What we are doing now is not healthy."
She also said part of her safety and security concerns are vicious stray dogs in the city.
"On our last week of block-walking we got chased down by two stray dogs," she said. “We need to hone in on what responsible dog ownership looks like."
The two will be sitting next to four other women. There are more women on council this term. The city says this is only the second time in history and hasn't happened since 2019.
"I am super happy and proud to be a part of it," Alderete Gavito said. "I am also the mom of two little girls so having them go through this experience with me is meaningful."
"As the first South Asian on council it is important to me for little kids to think, oh wow there another's South Asian woman," Kaur said. "And it is great as the 7th largest city to have a majority female council, I think it truly shows that we have equity and want to be an inclusive city."
The focus right now for both newly-elected leaders is trying to hire their staff. They will eventually move into their offices. The swearing in and inauguration ceremony is next week, on June 21.