For District 3 Candidate Tomas Uresti, running for office is a family affair
Running for office runs in the Uresti family
Jade Esteban Estrada for MySA
Tomas Uresti is battling in District 3.
Edward A. Ornelas /San Antonio Express-News
Tomas Uresti and Phyllis Viagran, who represent two of the South Side's most prominent political families, are taking part in a surprisingly civil runoff for the open District 3 seat on San Antonio City Council.
"It's been a good, clean race, and it's gonna stay that way," he says via phone.
On May 1, a dozen candidates participated in the D3 race and 10,269 district residents cast their vote. Forerunner Viagran garnered 22 percent of the vote (2,260 votes) and Uresti came in second with 14.7 percent (1,514). The race will be decided in the June 5 runoff.
"I expected a seven-point spread and that's where we ended up," says Uresti, who served for 13 years on the Harlandale ISD Board of Trustees and one term in the Texas House.
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"I have an impeccable background and record. My experience stands on its own. And I work across party lines." He catches himself, then says, "Of course, in the city, there are no party lines. They're hidden …but they're still there."
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Because Phyllis is the sister of outgoing Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran, Uresti anticipated that the newcomer would benefit from the name recognition.
"A lot of people believed they were voting for the same person," says Uresti, who is brother to Tax Assessor-Collector Albert Uresti and former state Sen. Carlos Uresti. "That happens when you have the same names so I knew Viagran was going to carry over a lot of the votes."
What he didn't anticipate was the positive experience he would have with his opponents.
"This is the first time I've ever been in an election where everybody got along," he says. "We laughed, we joked, we made fun of each other, and it was all in fun. So it was the best election I've ever seen as far as the camaraderie that got built up."
Uresti says that he didn't often see Phyllis at the polls, so he didn't get to know her as well as the other candidates.
"I have nothing bad to say about Phyllis," he makes clear. "All I really know about her is that she's Rebecca's sister."
Aside from running for office, Uresti also owns a small coffee shop on Pleasanton Road, which he and his wife opened earlier this year.
"The good, [but] sad part about it was that the devastation that San Antonio suffered through the freeze kept me tremendously busy," he says. "My store runs off bottled water so we were able to keep going."
During the winter freeze, he opened his shop as a warming center for people, allowing folks to charge their phones and enjoy free coffee. Some of the people he helped have since become regular customers.
"I get to see new and familiar faces all the time," says Uresti, whose go-to is a large coffee with four Splendas and three creams. "It's like Cheers , just without the alcohol."
Uresti attributes his family's political success to the strong family bond they share.
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"Whether it's Albert running or it's me running, or when Carlos was running, when we run, everybody jumps on board," he says.
"When you have your whole family backing you it makes you want to work that much harder because they are wanting you to win," he explains. "It's not just that person running, it's the entire family running and it's the entire community running at the same time."
Among the elected brothers, there is a family resemblance.
"When it comes to me and Albert, it's pretty obvious I'm the better looking one," he quips.
Uresti believes the results of the Proposition B vote means that there needs to be a better relationship between the SAPD and the community.
"It barely passed so there is some skepticism among half of the voters," he asserts. "SAPD is going to have to help in showing the community that they may have some bad apples. But not all SAPD is bad. We have some of the finest in the country. They are going to have to play a larger one-on-one role with the average person on the street."
To Uresti's surprise, what most concerns D3 residents is the issue of homelessness.
"That's the number one thing I've heard over anything else," he says. "People want the panhandling to stop and to get these individuals housed somewhere."
Uresti has spoken to constituents in every corner of the district. He's noticed that every conversation has a common theme.
"Everyone is striving for the same thing," he says. "They want public safety, they want more officers on the street, they want to live a normal life."
As the temperature rises in other council contests, Uresti is grateful for the upbeat vibe in his race.
"Everybody's been positive," he says. "It's been one of the most enjoyable campaigns I've ever run."