The two candidates competing to win the Democratic nomination to run for Bexar County district attorney are giving voters two sharply different views on being the county’s top lawyer.
Former Fourth Court of Appeals Justice Luz Elena Chapa and longtime prosecutor Jane Davis advanced from an eight-candidate Democratic primary. Chapa finished first with about 24% of the vote, while Davis took about 18%, sending the race to a runoff because no candidate received a majority.
The two candidates will appear on TPR’s "The Source" and take questions from listeners ahead of the May 26 primary runoff, giving voters a chance to compare two different arguments for leading one of the largest prosecutor’s offices in Texas.
Early voting runs May 18–22, and Election Day is Tuesday, May 26. The winner will become the Democratic nominee in November, where Republican Ashley Foster is also seeking the office.
The two candidates will appear separately on air and take listener calls.
The forum is expected to focus on the central contrast in the race: Chapa is running as an outsider who has been highly critical of the way the DA’s office has been run under current DA Joe Gonzales, while Davis is running as an insider with 40 years of experience as a prosecutor who says the office should build on progressive reforms initiated by Gonzales.
Chapa has never served as a prosecutor, but she points to her years as a judge and appellate justice as preparation to lead the office. Her campaign has emphasized being tough on crime while also reducing case backlogs, improving support for victims, and repairing relationships with law enforcement.
Chapa is being backed by law enforcement groups, including the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Bexar County and the San Antonio Police Officers Association, along with endorsements from Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
Davis, by contrast, has spent decades inside the criminal justice system. Her current position is leading the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office juvenile division. Her campaign has centered on experience, continuity and reform. She has called for expanding diversion programs, reducing jail overcrowding, improving case intake, using risk-based bail assessments and expanding transparency through data-driven decision-making.
Davis has also drawn support from much of the Democratic field eliminated in the March primary. Former candidates Shannon Locke, Veronica Legarreta, Meli Carrión Powers and James Bethke have backed her, as has current DA Gonzales.
Davis has largely defended the direction of the office while saying it needs operational improvements.
Guests:
Jane Davis is a career prosecutor and a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Bexar County District Attorney.
Luz Elena Chapa is a former Fourth Court of Appeals Justice and a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Bexar County District Attorney.
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m.
Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982.
During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org.
This interview will be recorded live Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
