SAINT ANTHONY – A five-way race for an open seat in the town hall of Sant Antoni northwest coast now it’s down to two political newcomers.
Marina Alderete Gavito and Dan Rossiter finished with 42.6 percent and 21.1 percent of the vote, respectively, in the May 6 election for the District 7 Council seat.
The position is wide open after Ana Sandoval resigned her seat in January. His temporary replacement, Rosie Castro, did not seek a full term.
Gavito comes from a corporate background, with history at Rackspace and USAA. She was most recently the Executive Director of SA Digital Connects, which focuses on expanding internet access and affordability in the county. She was also the founding CEO and COO of Tech Bloc and has served on several boards, including VIA.
Gavito is the daughter of former San Antonio Councilman Joe Alderete Jr.
Rossiter is an engineer and was program director at the Southwest Research Institute until he resigned to run for the board. He is a past president of the Thunderbird Hills Neighborhood Association and has also served on several boards, including the Brooks Development Authority Board of Directors and a 2022 city bond subcommittee for streets, bridges and sidewalks
Both candidates opposed Proposition A and listed similar priorities when they sat down with KSAT: public safety, transparency and infrastructure.
Rossiter also spoke about the need to reevaluate the technology behind the city’s 311 system, which is “simply not enough to keep up with the 1.5 million San Antonio residents who depend on it “.
And Gavito cited zoning changes and “sustainable development” guidance as another major priority.
“Sant Antonio has an influx of people coming into town, but making sure we do it in partnership with neighbors and neighborhood associations,” he said.
Gavito had the clear lead in the May 6 election, with twice as many votes as Rossiter and more than 20 times more in political contributions. He also garnered support from several current council members, former Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and the city’s police and fire unions.
Rossiter, however, is not discouraged heading into the second round.
“It’s a whole new ball game,” he said. “And I would encourage everyone to reset the scoreboard and see where things end up.”
Gavito, for his part, says he has “earned the trust and support of these residents, and I plan to call them and contact them to make sure they come out for me again.”
Early voting runs from May 30 to June 6. The second round is on June 10.
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