Challenger wins San Juan mayoral election

Mayor
Pedro Contreras: 1,565
San Juanita Sanchez: 1,328

City Commissioner Place 2
Bob Garza: 1,533
Alma Prado: 1,334

City Commissioner Place 3
Lupe Rodriguez: 1,669
Ignacio Almaguer: 1,187

SAN JUAN -- City Commissioner Pedro Contreras and his slate swept the city's runoff elections Saturday, defeating incumbent Mayor San Juanita Sanchez and her allies.

At 29 years old, Contreras is set to be one of youngest mayors in the city's history.

"I'm just so happy our community came together," said a teary-eyed Contreras after the results were posted at City Hall. "We came together. It took a lot of work, a lot of time and a lot of commitment."

Sanchez bested Contreras in the regular election. But Contreras won the runoff with 54 percent of the vote, a considerably wider margin than the 1 percentage point that separated him from Sanchez last month.

Sanchez said she would continue to remain politically active in the city.

"I was raised in San Juan," she said. "I live here. You can't keep me away. I may not be at the podium, but I'll be at the meetings."

Contreras previously served in the City Commission's minority but will now wield greater political power, as he and his running mates now hold three of the commission's five seats.

Contreras emphasized his respect for Commissioners Eddie Rodriguez and Claudia Gonzalez, who are aligned with Sanchez and were not up for election.

Bob Garza defeated Alma Prado to take the Place 2 commissioner seat, while Lupe Rodriguez defeated Ignacio Almaguer to win the Place 3 seat on the commission.

The election was marked by high voter turnout, with nearly 400 more voters casting ballots for mayor in the runoff than in the regular election. Typically, voter turnout declines for runoff elections.

On Saturday, supporters of each campaign gathered under tents outside polling places, braving sweltering heat and some rain to court voters.

The races became heated at times, with Sanchez's supporters insinuating with chants and a sign that the opposition candidates were "crooks."

Garza, 43, said he and his running mates hope to evaluate the city's finances soon.

"We really want a kind of audit to find out where the mayor left off," he said.

Sanchez had touted the city's economic development under her leadership. But Contreras and his running mates expressed frustration that San Juan Corners, a retail development that has received assistance from the city, seems slow to progress.

Contreras and his allies also called attention to high turnover among city employees during Sanchez's tenure. Rodriguez, who earned more votes that any of the candidates, said he believes frustration among city employees contributed to his slate's success.

The 56-year-old added that he wants the city to hire more employees and undertake more road improvements.

Sanchez said the new commissioners' greatest challenge will be fulfilling their promises.
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Ryan Holeywell covers PSJA, the Mid-Valley and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4446.