Embattled San Antonio Councilman Marc Whyte, who recently took office after his predecessor was also charged with a DWI, found himself apologizing to residents and looking for redemption less than a year into his first term following his own DWI arrest. Whyte, 43, addressed roughly 40 constituents in his first major public appearance since the incident, asking for forgiveness and promising change, as reported by the San Antonio Report.
At the District 10 gathering, Michael Gallagher, President of the Northeast Neighborhood Alliance, said the body camera footage of Whyte’s arrest showed a man acting appropriately under the circumstances. "Everybody saw what a gentleman we elected to office. ... He sounded more sober than my friends who don’t drink," Gallagher told attendees, per the San Antonio Report. While Mayor Ron Nirenberg has removed Whyte from his council committee assignments pending investigation, Gallagher called for Whyte's immediate reinstatement.
At the District 10 gathering, Michael Gallagher, President of the Northeast Neighborhood Alliance, slated the body camera footage of Whyte’s arrest showed a man acting appropriately under the circumstances. "Everybody saw what a gentleman we elected to office. ... He sounded more sober than my friends that don’t drink," Gallagher told attendees, per the San Antonio Report. While Mayor Ron Nirenberg has removed Whyte from his council committee assignments pending investigation, Gallagher called for Whyte's immediate reinstatement.
Whyte's steadfast supporter base echoes the sentiment of a man wronged by the system. Some like John Welch express empathy, "We’re all human, we make mistakes," Welch told the San Antonio Report, ready to put his vote behind Whyte again. Others, like Deb Kast, go further, calling for Mayor Nirenberg's censure, labeling the actions against Whyte as political maneuvering.
This incident comes as a replay of history for the District, with Whyte initially replacing Clayton Perry after a DWI charge the previous year. Bexar County court records confirm Whyte posted a $2,000 bond after his arrest, with an arraignment set for January 30, according to KSAT. The arrest occurred one year to the day since his predecessor, adding another layer of irony to the council’s struggle with DWI allegations among its ranks.
