Good.
Diego Bernal
Diego Bernal, a civil rights attorney elected to the District 1 City Council seat in 2011, will leave the office on Tuesday to run in a yet-to-be-called special election for the Texas House of Representatives.
“I’m stepping down,” Bernal told the San Antonio Express-News, “because there’s going to be a vacancy in House District 123.”
Bernal, a Democrat, has his sights set on replacing Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, whose 123rd district overlaps with Bernal’s council district.
Villarreal has sent a letter to Gov. Rick Perry saying he intends to complete his current term, which ends Jan. 13, but does not intend to serve in the 2015 term, to which he was elected on Nov. 4.
[…]
Bernal leaves a significant legacy in his nearly two full terms on council.
He spearheaded city policy that cracked down on payday lenders and was the driving force behind the city’s bolstered nondiscrimination ordinance, which now offers protection to people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.
The nondiscrimination ordinance was easily the most controversial issue the council faced.
He also said he’s proud of the transparency in his office, his open-door policy and communications with District 1 constituents.
Bernal also was a staunch advocate for the inner city.
“I’m proud that we demonstrated that you can start to bring attention to areas that had not seen it in decades,” he said.
But for every mended street, every new sidewalk, there are miles more left unattended.
“If you take your job seriously,” he said, “you’re haunted by what you haven’t gotten to.”
All of that makes me a big fan of CM Bernal and has me excited for the prospect of having him in the Legislature. He has exactly the right attitude for the job. We could use a lot more like him.
Bernal won’t be unopposed in this not-yet-declared special election, of course, so let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. The Trib introduces another hopeful for HD123:
San Antonio City Councilman Diego Bernal and public relations consultant Melissa Aguillon have both set their sights on Villarreal’s House seat, which covers downtown and parts of northern San Antonio. Villarreal announced last week that he would resign his seat in the next Legislature in order to focus on running for mayor and give voters time to fill his seat ahead of the upcoming session. State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, who just lost her bid for lieutenant governor, is also said to be considering a mayoral run.
Aguillon said she decided to pursue the seat earlier this summer when it became clear that Villarreal would step down from the House.
“When I first heard that Mike was going to be running for mayor, I just decided that this was something that I wanted to do,” Aguillon said. “I’ll use my experience that I’ve already had as a small business owner and put it to work as hopefully a representative for the district.”
Before starting her marketing firm, Aguillon worked for the city’s economic development department. She also worked for state Rep. José Menéndez during his time on the San Antonio City Council. Menéndez said earlier this week that he would consider running for Van de Putte’s Senate seat if she too steps down to run for mayor. If that happens, he’s likely to face state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio.
I know nothing more about Ms. Aguillon than that. I’m sure she’d make a fine Representative, but with all due respect Diego Bernal is my first choice. The Rivard Report has more.