John Velasquez
John Velasquez ran for election for Mayor of San Antonio in Texas. Velasquez lost in the general election on May 1, 2021.
Elections
2021
See also: Mayoral election in San Antonio, Texas (2021)
General election
General election for Mayor of San Antonio
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of San Antonio on May 1, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ron Nirenberg (Nonpartisan) | 61.9 | 92,156 |
 | Greg Brockhouse (Nonpartisan) | 31.5 | 46,829 | |
 | Denise Gutierrez (Nonpartisan) | 1.8 | 2,711 | |
 | Gary Allen (Nonpartisan) | 1.4 | 2,049 | |
 | Antonio Diaz (Nonpartisan) | 0.9 | 1,358 | |
 | Tim Atwood (Nonpartisan) | 0.5 | 786 | |
| Jacq'ue Miller (Nonpartisan) | 0.5 | 703 | ||
| Ray Adam Basaldua (Nonpartisan) | 0.4 | 631 | ||
 | Michael Idrogo (Nonpartisan) | 0.3 | 406 | |
 | John Velasquez (Nonpartisan) | 0.2 | 340 | |
| Dan Martinez (Nonpartisan) | 0.2 | 334 | ||
| Frank Muniz (Nonpartisan) | 0.1 | 208 | ||
| Justin Macaluso (Nonpartisan) | 0.1 | 207 | ||
| Joshua Galvan (Nonpartisan) | 0.1 | 172 | ||
| Total votes: 148,890 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2019
See also: Mayoral election in San Antonio, Texas (2019)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Mayor of San Antonio
Incumbent Ron Nirenberg defeated Greg Brockhouse in the general runoff election for Mayor of San Antonio on June 8, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ron Nirenberg (Nonpartisan) | 51.1 | 61,741 |
| Greg Brockhouse (Nonpartisan) | 48.9 | 59,051 | |
| Total votes: 120,792 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
General election for Mayor of San Antonio
The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of San Antonio on May 4, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ron Nirenberg (Nonpartisan) | 48.7 | 49,579 |
| ✔ | | Greg Brockhouse (Nonpartisan) | 45.6 | 46,414 |
| John Velasquez (Nonpartisan) | 1.6 | 1,644 | |
| Antonio Diaz (Nonpartisan) | 1.1 | 1,104 | |
| Tim Atwood (Nonpartisan) | 1.0 | 1,026 | |
 | Matthew Piña (Nonpartisan) | 0.7 | 762 | |
| Bert Cecconi (Nonpartisan) | 0.6 | 573 | ||
| Michael Idrogo (Nonpartisan) | 0.4 | 434 | |
| Carlos Castanuela (Nonpartisan) | 0.3 | 330 | ||
| Total votes: 101,866 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2017
The city of San Antonio, Texas, held general elections for mayor and all 10 of its city council seats on May 6, 2017. Candidates had to earn a majority of the votes cast in this election to win. Any race where no candidate received a majority (50 percent plus one) of the general election votes cast for that position advanced to a runoff election on June 10, 2017. The following candidates ran in the general election for mayor of San Antonio.[1]
| Mayor of San Antonio, General Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Ivy R. Taylor Incumbent |
42.01% | 41,794 |
| Ron Nirenberg |
37.08% | 36,890 |
| Juan Manuel Medina | 15.13% | 15,049 |
| Keven Roles | 1.57% | 1,557 |
| Antonio Diaz | 0.97% | 966 |
| Will McLeod | 0.55% | 545 |
| Felicio Hernandez Flores II | 0.43% | 429 |
| John Velasquez | 0.39% | 383 |
| Gerard Ponce | 0.37% | 366 |
| Michael Idrogo | 0.37% | 366 |
| Rhett Rosenquest Smith | 0.32% | 321 |
| Stephen Lucke | 0.32% | 315 |
| Julie Iris Oldham | 0.27% | 270 |
| Napoleon Madrid | 0.23% | 225 |
| Total Votes | 99,476 | |
| Source: Bexar County, Texas, "May 6, 2017 Media Report," May 18, 2017 | ||
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
John Velasquez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
John Velasquez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Velasquez's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
1. Access to mental health services for ALL regardless of income, insurance, ability to pay or zip code. San Antonio should use the tax structure to construct a city-owned set of mental health clinics in EVERY zip code. 2. Reduction in traffic congestion through the use of "behavioral" strategies. This is what I call "The Active Driver Program". Several proposals include: variable speed lanes (not all lanes with the same speed limit) on both highways and city streets, left lane must be open at all times, slowest drivers must be in the right lane, encouraging routine lane changes, during high congestion leave gaps between cars to allow smooth movement of cars entering the highway, on city streets designate more "right turn only lanes", etc. This should also have a direct positive impact on mental health, i.e. reduce road rage. 3. Air Quality: Voluntary "no drive" days in which residents select one day a week to not drive their car nor leave the house/apartment. This should both reduce congestion and clean the air. Also, reduce/eliminate the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Mental Health. I am a psychologist and I have spoken with tens of thousands of San Antonio residents from all walks of life. Mental health is neglected and there is little recognition of the positive impact of mental health on physical health. San Antonio can improve the economic, cultural and social vitality by improving the mental health of ALL citizens.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
John F. Kennedy is my lifelong "mentor". He said "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." I believe that can translate to: "ask not what your city can do for you, but what you can do for your city." While I believe in government and what it can do for people, we need to encourage people to do their part in their daily lives. We cannot only wait and rely on San Antonio government to solve our problems. I believe the biggest impact on the life of the city can be made *by the citizens*. So, I want to encourage them (through behavior change) to contribute to the betterment of their city and community.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
A Call to Action : Women, Religion, Violence, and Power by Jimmy Carter
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
An elected official must not commit "hubris". If an elected official believes that his/her ideas are the best, that is arrogant hubris. If an elected official looks to old/current "solutions" and acts as though we already know what we need to know and we already know what he need to do is also committing hubris. This is a way of using the past to solve complex problems and using the urgency of the present to rush to judgment. Leaders pull us ahead and reaches far into the future to transform society. The US and San Antonio are in need of a cultural transformation from how things have been done to what will truly work.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I am a behavioral "scientist". I am trained to seek knowledge and to seek people both within and outside my discipline. This helps me to be open-minded and receptive to both current and new ideas. I have success in building partnerships across agencies and disciplines. I truly care and have empathy for all people, especially the poor and the traumatized. I came from the down up, not from the middle or the top. I believe I have perspectives of all people. I can get into the minds of others and truly understand their circumstances without judging them.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
The mayor must consult with the entire city council, the staff, the legal team, the economists and the average citizen of San Antonio before making decisions. A mayor must not have preconceived notions rooted only in his/her life experiences. He/She must reach out to others before making decisions or advocating for specific decisions. A Mayor must not just continue what works but must also challenge the system to do better.
What legacy would you like to leave?
The legacy I would like to leave for the citizens of San Antonio is one in which their lives were truly improved in a short period of time and that that improvement is sustained through out their lives. And I want every citizen to believe that they each had a part in change for the better.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
The assassination of John F. Kennedy shocked me at the age of 6 years old. His tragic and premature death challenged me to act with urgency and with bold action on behalf of all.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
My first job was cleaning up a Whataburger after it closed when I was 16 years old. I did this for a year. I rode my bike to and from work in the middle of the night.
What happened on your most awkward date?
My first date with my wife while we were in college. Her friends warned her not to go out with a guy who drove a van. I drove a van. We went to a movie and afterwards we walked across the UT Austin campus and found a place to make out. Midway we noticed someone in an office nearby watching us.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
My favorite holiday is Martin Luther King Day. I have attended the march in San Antonio numerous times and have encourage my family and my college students to attend. San Antonio had the largest march in the US and I am always inspired how *all* of San Antonio turns out. I feel so much a part of all of San Antonio on that day.
What is your favorite book? Why?
My favorite book is "Stranger In a Strange Land" by Robert Heinlein. My brother made me read that book. It is science fiction about a man raised on Mars who came to Earth and showed us how to think differently. He was met with discrimination and violence. As I was growing up I always felt like a stranger in my community of all Anglos and as one of the few Mexican Americans.
If the mayor in your city is a member of the city council and there's a city manager appointed to handle the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe should be the mayor's top priority in office?
The Mayor should take the advice of the City Manager and give feedback to the City Manager about the day-to-day impact of city policies and funding on the citizens. The Mayor should go "out" into the city and meet the common person, for those are the ones who depend the most on city services. The Mayor should assemble department heads on a weekly basis and receive the common person into City Hall and hear their stories and needs and provide "direct" help on that day. Hundreds of lives can be improved this way. The Mayor must have a personal touch on the city and "meet" the citizens. The Mayor must "believe" the people.
What do you love most about your city?
San Antonio is where my family is from. San Antonio is where my wife's family is from. Our roots are deep in the history and culture of San Antonio. I love the Mexican and German cultures which make up so much of our city's history. I love the cultural connection with Mexico. I love the cultural diversity and how the people of San Antonio show so much patience and respect for one another.
What do you perceive to be your city's greatest challenges over the next decade?
Because San Antonio is growing so rapidly, I am concerned that San Antonio will lose it's historical and cultural roots. I am concerned that our city will become too much like all other cities in the US. We must maintain our cultural traditions and do things our way.
What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the state government?
The relationship between San Antonio and the State of Texas is strained. State government represents only Texas north of San Antonio in policy and culture. This is why counties south of the line from El Paso, San Antonio and Corpus Christi must pull away and create our own state, "South Texas" with San Antonio as the "state capitol". All state and federal elections continue to show that these counties vote Democratic yet the current state government is Republican. We are losing valuable resources and time and culture while being governed by those who do not have roots and understanding of "South Texas".
What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the federal government?
The relationship between San Antonio and the federal government is also strained. The development of a new state of "South Texas" will allow us to develop better policies for education and health care and an improved relationship with Mexico. We should have a greater say in how to manage the border with Mexico, a more humane, compassionate and culturally relevant manner.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance
2017
The table below lists campaign finance totals for the mayoral candidates as of reports available from the city of San Antonio following the May 3 filing deadline.
See also
2021 Elections
External links
Footnotes
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