May 6, 2023 Voter Guide
There are two San Antonio DSA endorsed candidates on this guide and one proposition: Jalen McKee-Rodriguez in City Council District 2, Teri Castillo in City Council District 5, Prop A: San Antonio Justice Charter.
Candidates/propositions must seek the endorsement of SADSA and our general membership votes on the decision to endorse. Several community members have reached out to SADSA for a voter guide, so we have created one. It is by no means expansive and does not cover every race in our area, but we hope this can help inform your decisions if you’re looking to a socialist organization for electoral advice.
Our struggles go beyond the ballot box, but it is a site of struggle that we cannot withdraw from, we can take it back if we fight together. Join San Antonio DSA.
If you have any questions or comments, please don’t email SanAntonioDSA@gmail.com.
In Bexar Co. you can vote at any voting location. You can go to the Bexar Co. Elections Department website to find voting locations, hours, your individual sample ballot and more.
City Council Landscape
It’s true the highs of 2021 have worn off. No matter how you slice it, City Council will be lurching to the right for the next two years. The 2023-2025 City Council will still be made of mostly centrists, but things just feel worse this time around. This Council has made historic investments though American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) decisions, Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding, and the largest municipal bond in history, but the vibes are most certainly fucked.
There are a few bright spots in union and tenant organizing, but efforts desperately need to be ramped up to exert political pressure before monumental races in 2025. Alongside an open mayoral election, District 4, District 6, District 8 and District 9 will likely be open, if Councilmember Courage (D9) can secure a fourth term this year. The 2025 races will be on the heels of what will certainly be a very entertaining, and likely devastating, Presidential cycle that will most definitely change organizing landscape and conditions.
We sincerely hope that no matter what happens on May 6th and over the next two years, you’ll commit to joining an organization (hopefully DSA dsausa.org/join) and start organizing. Regardless of where you see yourself “on the Left,” your politics are assuredly not reflected across local elected offices…but they should be, even a glimpse! Our Voters Guide is admittedly a bit bleak, no candidates aside from our endorsed candidates are receiving a recommendation before the runoff. We understand this might not really help people who want to vote, but don’t know for whomst. Unfortunately, the who this cycle is mostly anti-Prop A, Chambers of Commerce-types who all say generally the same thing. A total lack of political imagination fueled by a void of community organizing, being filled by (hopeful) careerist politicians. Two years ago, we fought to get Teri and Jalen elected to City Council. This year, we will make sure they stay, and two years from now we must get them comrades on Council.
Organize where you work, organize where you live, and let's organize for a better San Antonio.
