SAN ANTONIO – Another candidate is throwing his hat in the ring for San Antonio mayor, and he’s already trying to separate himself from the competition.
Manuel Medina made his official campaign announcement Saturday at San Fernando Cathedral.
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Medina, who served as the Bexar County Democratic Party chairman, told his supporters he’s using his own money to fuel his campaign to avoid special interests. He also said he holds a different vision for San Antonio.
“They keep talking about 2020 and SA Tomorrow. Well, Manuel Medina will be talking about that 1.5 million San Antonians that live here today. Manuel Medina will be talking about 2017 and SA today,” Medina said.
Medina’s announcement comes nearly a month after he appointed a campaign treasurer, allowing him to spend money for public office.
The San Antonio mayoral election is scheduled for May 6. District 8 Councilman Ron Nirenberg and incumbent Ivy Taylor are also running.
KSAT 12 News reached out to Nirenberg and Taylor for reaction to another competitor joining the race.
Nirenberg sent a statement saying, “Medina’s announcement further demonstrates there is a broad and growing consensus that the current mayor is not getting the job done. I think people have had enough hard partisanship. In San Antonio, we have a long history of nonpartisan elections for a reason. We elect city leaders as San Antonians, not as Republicans or Democrats. I don’t believe voters want or expect a high level of partisanship in city elections and I’m confident that when all is said and done people will agree with my vision for the future.”
Taylor’s campaign manager, Christian Anderson, sent a statement saying, “The mayor knows basic services such as streets, public safety, libraries, and parks are crucial to all San Antonians, not just Democrats or Republicans.
“She’s kept partisanship out of City Hall. Partisan brawls at City Council would kill the progress we’ve made in San Antonio over the last several years.
“Medina is a political insider looking to divide San Antonians by their party affiliations. He wants to slice up our city into sections, one pitted against another. He’s already labeled the East Side a seat of 'generational violence.'
He’s trying to inject into the mayor’s race the toxic, bombastic politics that’s hurt us at the national level. He’s willing to say anything, regardless of the facts, to try to win support.”