Clayton Perry, former District 10 Councilman, who once took a sabbatical following a DWI charge, is entering the race for San Antonio's mayor in 2025, stating "I know I have the right leadership and the right ideas to overcome some of these obstacles that San Antonio has and build on the potential of San Antonio is tremendous." Perry had declined to seek re-election following a November 2022 incident involving over a dozen drinks at a local bar and a subsequent hit-and-run, which led to a probationary period rather than jail time, Texas Public Radio (TPR) reported on Friday.
As Perry enters the race, he joins a crowded field of candidates that includes District 4 Councilmember Adriana Rocha Garcia, District 8 Councilmember Manny Peláez, District 9 Councilmember John Courage, and other notable figures like local tech entrepreneur Beto Altamirano and former Texas secretary of state Rolando Pablos, alongside the anticipated candidacy of District 6 Councilmember Melissa Cabello Havrda; Perry, addressing his past DWI charge, insists on having taken full responsibility and highlighted that it would be up to the voters to weigh its significance stating, "I prayed a lot, and I'm still praying every day, asking for guidance and helping me to make the right decision on what to do. And at this point, I've made that decision, and I'm going to follow through with this," according to TPR.
Perry, who acknowledges his actions humbly, cited the urging of his supporters as a crucial motivator in his decision to run, as he relayed to KSAT, “Yes, I’m in — in all the way,” He downplayed the extent of his intoxication during the November 2022 incident, contradicting the police's report of his blood alcohol content being more than three times the legal limit as per KSAT's analysis of surveillance footage, however, this doesn't diminish the fact he did own up to his mistake and pleaded no contest to the charges.
Perry detailed his intention to share the narrative of his prior work and leadership capabilities, which he believes would serve the city well as mayor, stating, "I tell you, with 12 to 15 people running for mayor, it’s going to be a wide-open race, there’s going to be a lot of choices, and I will just be one of those choices to move forward with. And I think I got a dadgum good story to tell on my time, my experience and my leadership capabilities and what I did on (city) council for six years,” he told KSAT. Despite the earlier transgression, Perry emphasized the strong support he claimed to have received from the public and remained resolute in his ambition to lead the city.
