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Axios
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Axios
San Antonio City Council election results show changing politics
San Antonio City Council District 1 incumbent Sukh Kaur held on to her seat in Saturday's runoff election, in which three new city councilmembers were also elected in a political shakeup. Why it matters: A new generation of councilmembers can help shape a range of transformative city plans as they work with new mayor Gina Ortiz Jones over the next four years — but they'll also have to contend with a possible budget deficit and cuts to services. By the numbers: Kaur beat out conservative neighborhood leader Patty Gibbons 65% to 35% in the downtown area district, which now also includes some neighborhoods north of Loop 410. The big picture: The San Antonio City Council could have a starker political divide. It'sgaining one more progressive and one more conservative member, who are taking over seats previously held by business-friendly and moderate Democrats. Ortiz Jones is expected to lead as a progressive. The latest: In District 6 on the Far West Side, Ric Galvan (50.1%) beat Kelly Ann Gonzalez (49.9%) by just 25 votes. Both have progressive backgrounds running in a district that has previously elected Republicans and business-friendly Democrats. In District 8 on the Northwest Side, Ivalis Meza Gonzalez (57%) beat Paula McGee (43%). Meza Gonzalez is the former chief of staff to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, while McGee had experience on city boards and support from the Republican Party of Bexar County. In District 9 on the North Side, Misty Spears (57%) beat Angi Taylor Aramburu (43%), putting this more conservative district back in Republican hands for the first time in eight years. Spears has been the director of constituent services for Republican Bexar County Commissioner Grant Moody. Flashback: The four districts headed to the June runoff after no one earned more than 50% of the vote in the May 3 election. District 4 on the Southwest Side is newly represented by Edward Mungia, a former staff member in the office. He won outright in the May election.
Axios
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
San Antonio City Council election results: Four districts head to runoff
San Antonio City Council candidates in four districts are headed for a runoff next month, including District 1 incumbent Sukh Kaur, who came roughly 1 percentage point shy of winning the seat outright. Why it matters: A new generation of council members will help shape a range of transformative city plans as they work with a new mayor over the next four years. The latest: Kaur (48.91%) will face Patty Gibbons (17.8%) in the June 7 runoff. Kaur needed 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff. Kaur, who is running for a second term, previously founded an education consulting company and is a former teacher. Gibbons is a longtime neighborhood leader in Greater Harmony Hills who has been active with the Republican Party of Bexar County. She previously ran for City Council in District 9, a more conservative district, before she was redistricted into the more urban District 1. There will also be a runoff on June 7 in districts 6, 8 and 9. Here's how races shaped up in the districts where there was no incumbent on the ballot. District 4: Edward Mungia, a staffer in the District 4 office who served as a trustee for South San ISD and a board member for MOVE Texas, won with 56.8% of the vote. District 6: Kelly Ann Gonzalez (19.7%) will face Ric Galvan (19.37%) in the runoff. Gonzalez has worked as a labor organizer for city employees and is endorsed by outgoing District 6 Councilmember Melissa Cabello Havrda. Galvan is a staffer for City Council District 5. Both have ties to progressive politics. District 8: Ivalis Meza Gonzalez (40.33%) will face Paula McGee (22.22%) in the runoff. Meza Gonzalez is the former chief of staff to Mayor Ron Nirenberg who ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat in the 2022 race for Bexar County Judge. McGee is an attorney who has served on the city's Zoning Commission and Ethics Review Board. District 9: Misty Spears (38.01%) will face Angi Taylor Aramburu (35.57%) in the runoff, shaping up to be a more partisan race. Spears is director of constituent services for Republican Bexar County Commissioner Grant Moody, and has his endorsement. Aramburu ran for Texas House District 122 as a Democrat in 2022, and is endorsed by outgoing District 9 Councilmember John Courage. Zoom out: Elsewhere, City Council incumbents kept their seats by the following margins: District 2, Jalen McKee-Rodriguez: 61% District 3, Phyllis Viagran: 57% District 5, Teri Castillo: 77% District 7, Marina Alderete Gavito: 72% District 10, Marc Whyte: 69% Separately, mayoral candidates Gina Ortiz Jones (27.2%) and Rolando Pablos (16.61%) will also head to the June 7 runoff.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Indian Americans running for key positions in Texas municipal elections
Sukh Kaur, Sanjay Singhal, and George M. Kakkanatt Municipal elections will be held across the state of Texas on May 3, Saturday. Texas has emerged as one of the American states with the largest Indian American population at an estimated 450,000, and not surprisingly, several members of the community are running for the municipal and school board elections this weekend. Dr. Sukh Kaur , who is running for San Antonio City Council District 1, is a first-term councilwoman who is in a tough race against nine opponents. In June 2023, she won the council election to represent District 1, defeating the incumbent. She is the first South Asian to serve on the San Antonio City Council, and she is committed to championing a local government that prioritises improving the quality of life for residents. Dr Kaur is passionate about education and economic development and works to build a more equitable San Antonio. She holds a doctorate in K-12 educational leadership from Vanderbilt University, an MBA, and a BA from Rice University. As a city councilmember, her work is centred around five key priorities: infrastructure, public safety, parks and community centres, small businesses, and affordable housing. Gurvinder Singh is running for the Sachse City Council Place 6. A son of Indian immigrants, Singh had made Sachse his home since 2014. His priority, if elected, will be to ensure that Sachse is economically competitive with other North Texas cities. He will also focus on opportunities for diverse businesses to create jobs and grow. Singh graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a degree in telecommunications, and established successful ventures in real estate, construction, and insurance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Invest $200 in Amazon without buying stocks to earn a second salary Marketsall Sign Up Undo Dr George M. Kakkanatt, a decorated veteran, community leader, and dedicated public servant, is running for Sugar Land City Council, at-large position 1. He has lived for over 22 years with his wife, Sally , and their three children in Texas. A former US Air Force captain, Dr Kakkanatt is also a psychologist and psychotherapist and advocates for mental health and social justice. He holds master's degrees in English literature and social work and a Ph.D. in psychology. As the founding president of the South Indian US Chamber of Commerce and a Fort Bend Chamber member, he promotes economic growth and supports local businesses. Sanjay Singhal , an engineer and a resident of Sugar Land for over 10 years, is running for Sugar Land City Council, District 2. He has actively participated in the local community and focused on improving the quality of life of residents. In his corporate role, he has held senior executive experience and led diverse teams, overseen global operations, and managed strategic budgets, gaining valuable leadership experience and problem-solving skills that he now seeks to bring to the city council. His campaign priorities include keeping neighbourhoods safe, investing in future infrastructure, ensuring smart, responsible spending to keep taxes low, and keeping city government transparent and accountable. Sapana Patel is a two-term planning & zoning commissioner, appointed by the city council to serve the residents of Sugar Land in ensuring that development plans comply with city ordinances and the city's long-range land use plan. She is now running for Sugar Land City Council from District 4. Patel has been instrumental in leading community grassroots efforts to prevent incompatible and intrusive high-density development adjacent to District 4 neighbourhoods. She is also a nationally recognised realtor, and she mentors and trains new agents. She holds degrees in accounting and marketing from Houston Baptist University. Impact Fund, an organisation that supports Indian Americans and South Asians running for political office, has endorsed Dr Kaur and Singh for the Texas local elections. 'Local elections often have the biggest impact on our daily lives, yet turnout and participation, especially among our communities, remain low,' the organisation said in a recent statement announcing the endorsement. The state of Texas also has some Indian Americans in important elected offices, including Ken Mathew, who was elected Mayor for Stafford in June 2023, having already served on the city council since May 2006. Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George was recently urged to step down after he faced money laundering charges. Judge Surendran K. Pattel, who was born and raised in India and was elected judge of the 240th district court in Fort Bend County in 2022. Sherine Thomas (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Texas 353rd District Court. She ran and won in the general election in November 2024 and assumed office on January 1, 2025. Her current term ends on December 31, 2028. Her family immigrated to the US from Delhi in 1971. She has handled cases at every level of state and federal trial and appellate courts, including presenting oral argument at the Texas Supreme Court.
Metro
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
I complained about romance on the radio and bagged myself a date
Hearing the radio presenter read out a text from a listener, I got a warm little glow in my tummy. The text in question described me as an amazing person – or words to that effect – and I must admit it was a real confidence boost. Earlier in the programme, when the presenter suggested, on air, that this was a great opportunity to find me a man, I'd wanted the ground to swallow me whole. I was so embarrassed. But, as my fellow guest that day was romance expert Sukh Kaur, I thought, what the hell. We spent the next 20 minutes talking about my chequered dating life and then that text arrived. I hadn't gone on air that day looking for a date, but when you're 42 and a single mum of two kids, you need to be open for love to find you – even if it is in unconventional ways. For the most part, I'm pretty happy on my own. Being single gives me lots of freedom to enjoy the things I love like solo spa days or going hiking. But having someone to share experiences and special moments with – a real partner – does appeal a bit. I've been in relationships before, of course. My last serious one ended about two years ago, after it had run its course, and before that I was engaged to be married. Love reading juicy stories like this? Need some tips for how to spice things up in the bedroom? Sign up to The Hook-Up and we'll slide into your inbox every week with all the latest sex and dating stories from Metro. We can't wait for you to join us! Recently, I've found myself back at square one and let me tell you, dating in your 40s is a very different ball game from dating in your 20s. For a start, it used to be a longer process. You'd have to meet in the first place, then arrange a date and put some time and effort into it. Today, you can get a date at the touch of a button, or decide after two weeks of chatting online that he's not the one for you and block and delete before you've even met him. So, How Did It Go? is a weekly series that will make you cringe with second-hand embarrassment or ooze with jealousy as people share their worst and best date stories. Want to spill the beans about your own awkward encounter or love story? Contact But perhaps one of the best things about dating now though is that I've got enough life experience by this point to understand what's truly important. There's less time for messing around, and I'm less tolerant of nonsense. I've got very strong boundaries and I'm much more secure in knowing what I want, and what I can bring to a relationship. So, when I was invited to BBC Radio Leicester for my regular guest slot in November last year, and talk quickly turned from all the crazy things going on in my world as a PR and social media expert, to romance, I was happy to have the chance to talk quite openly about how I felt about dating. I told how I'd been messaging a particular guy at the time, but didn't go into any huge detail about him. We'd connected on the apps a couple of weeks earlier. The conversation flowed and we got on well. I was very open minded as to what might come from it, but I didn't have any huge expectations. What I didn't realise, however, was that this guy I'd been chatting to on the apps listened to the show – and within half an hour he'd sent that flattering message in. While I didn't know for sure it was him at the time, I had my suspicions as they read out his first name. After the show, when we were messaging again, I got the confirmation I needed. Next thing I knew the team asked me if I'd come back on for a date with him live on air. Admittedly, I was very nervous – I felt vulnerable about sharing such a personal experience so publicly – but ultimately I decided to go for it. A week or so later we both appeared on the programme again – me in the studio and him on the phone – in a sort of Blind Date set up. We asked each other three questions, most of which are a blur to me now as I was so nervous, but I do remember asking him what he wanted to be when he grew up when he was a child. I think he said something about wanting to be a pilot but said he was too short, which made me giggle because I'm quite short myself. I also asked about his favourite song or movie, and his answer involved Dirty Dancing, which was a huge tick for me because it's one of my favourite films. His answers really made me smile, so it was all very positive – which is lucky really as, what the team didn't know until the morning of our 'on-air date', was that the guy and I had arranged to meet up straight after the show. We met at a bar nearby for some drinks and it was really nice to meet him in person. It was great to find our conversation flowed just as well when we were together. We got on well, which resulted in a really nice first date and continued to talk for a while afterwards, but we never got to a second one. I think we both felt we didn't have enough time to invest in dating at that point. They invited me on the show near Valentine's Day to provide an update – but sadly I wasn't available to let listeners know what happened. I'm sure they're eagerly awaiting news! It may not have led to anything serious, but there were no hard feelings and it was a really fun experience to have. More Trending I've had a couple of dates since then, all through the apps, but there's been no more crazy radio antics to speak of and I'm still happily single. But I'd definitely recommend putting yourself out there in more unusual ways when it comes to dating. The dating world is not an easy one to navigate nowadays as it is, but you can have a laugh along the way if you let yourself. If nothing else, think of the fantastic stories and memories you'll make. As told to Claire O'Boyle Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: My child didn't want to put his shoes on – teachers restrained him MORE: Spring is the season to plant relationship seeds — your star sign's tarot love horoscope MORE: I went to give my ex head – then I vomited
