SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor announced Monday morning that she will run in the May 9 mayoral election.
The San Antonio City Council voted in July to appoint Taylor, who represented District 2 on the council, as mayor, replacing the departing Julian Castro.
"Really, what I wanted to do from the start was make sure during this transition there was someone in the seat who wasn't going to use the seat as a platform to run, who would bring the council together on issues. And I feel I've done that," Taylor said in an interview with KSAT 12.
Eight other candidates have filed with the City Clerk's office to run for mayor, including Tommy Adkisson, Paul Martinez, Gerard Ponce, Pogo Mochello Reese, Rhett Smith, Leticia Van de Putte, Mike Villarreal and Raymond Zavala.
Click here to view a current list of mayoral candidates.
"The record that I've established and the tone that I've brought to the office allows me to stand out. And also that people have seen how I perform in this seat," Taylor said.
With the announcement made, the campaign will now begin. Taylor has never run a city-wide campaign and will be running against seasoned politicians. She will now begin raising money for the campaign, relatively late in the game.
"Those big names and the money, they're important when you're campaigning. But at the end of the day, it's going to be about the voters. They're going to make the decision on who they want to continue to lead the city," Taylor said.
Acknowledging her late entrance to the mayoral race, Taylor said for her, the timing is perfect.
"I've seen people from all walks, all ends of the political spectrum who've expressed support for me, and even some folks who have been a little jaded about politics. They feel re-energized about someone who's just focused on the issues and actually makes some people want to engage," Taylor said.
Taylor said she will keep her campaign separate from the job at hand. For example, she said she will not be seeking the police or fire unions' endorsement, because she believes the current city contract being negotiated with the unions shouldn't be a political issue.