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Saturday night's runoff race for San Antonio City Council District 8 yielded a victory for Ivalis Meza Gonzalez over Paula McGee.
The final vote tally was 9,351 for Ivalis Meza Gonzalez and 6,955 for Paula McGee.
Gonzalez had been outgoing Mayor Ron Nirenberg’s chief of staff and had accrued a robust slate of endorsements from city and county notables, and police and fire unions.
“For me, it's about making sure that the office is ready to get to work and any issues that the councilman prior had that are ongoing, said Meza Gonzalez. "I want to make sure we know about those issues, and then also bring in the issues that I heard at the doors from residents and put together a 100-day plan for my office.”
Her mother, “Choco” González Meza, was known for her own public service in a variety of roles. She worked for voting rights and was an activity with La Raza Unida. She also served as a local Democratic Party chair.
Gonzalez is generally progressive in views, but she isn’t sold on the idea that labeling local politicians is the way to go.
"And that was important to me that folks knew that whatever label it is, it’s just about getting to work," said Meza Gonzalez. "It’s about those basic services that District 8 residents are receiving them."
Her opponent, Paula McGee, an attorney, was largely seen as a conservative candidate to Gonzalez’s progressive views.
District 8 is on the Northwest side, running on either side of I-10 from Loop 410 to Leon Springs, and all the way to Highway 16 on the West Side.
