Bexar County voters will choose a new district attorney Nov. 3, with prosecution priorities, staffing and alternatives to incarceration shaping the race to succeed retiring Democrat Joe Gonzales.
Democrat Luz Elena Chapa, a former Fourth Court of Appeals justice, faces Republican Ashley Foster, a former Bexar County prosecutor now practicing civil law, and independent Jason Wolff, a criminal defense attorney, former prosecutor and former county court judge.
The district attorney leads the office that reviews criminal allegations, presents felony cases to grand juries and prosecutes cases. Prosecutors evaluate evidence and negotiate plea agreements. The office also supports crime victims and provides civil legal representation for county government.
Chapa promises to prioritize domestic-violence cases, improve cooperation with police and secure resources to fully staff the office. Foster emphasizes violent crime and repeat offenders, written charging standards and an audit of staffing and case flow.
Both say protecting victims is central to their approach.
Recruiting and retaining attorneys remains a challenge. At an October candidate forum, the office reported 32 vacant attorney positions. Wolff called for higher prosecutor pay; Chapa advocates full staffing, while Foster proposes mentorship and continuing training. Commissioners Court controls county funding.
Public transparency is another issue. Foster promises published timelines and performance measures so residents can assess delays and results. Her plan also calls for reviewing dismissal reasons and plea consistency.
The candidates differ over the creation of a Bexar County Diversion Center, which can connect eligible non-violent defendants with treatment instead of incarceration.
Chapa supports fully funding a diversion center. Foster supports effective programs but wants evidence that they work. The debate follows city and county approval of a pilot intended to move people with mental-health or substance-use disorders from jail into treatment.
For our DA candidate forums, TPR invited Democratic nominee Luz Elena Chapa and Republican nominee Ashley Foster to participate in 30-minute conversations. Independent candidate Jason Wolff did not meet the threshold for inclusion in this forum.
TPR determined participation in the Bexar County district attorney forum using a set of criteria intended to identify candidates who have demonstrated a significant level of public support and campaign capacity.
Those criteria include documented campaign fundraising and expenditures, established campaign organization and independent news coverage, as well as whether they responded to a candidate questionnaire for our voter guide.
You can view more information about all three candidates in our TPR/San Antonio Report 2026 Voter Guide.
Guests:
Luz Elena Chapa is the Democratic candidate for Bexar County District Attorney.
Ashley Foster is the Republican candidate 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 Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
