BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – At least seven individuals thus far have formally announced campaign plans to run for Bexar County’s top prosecutor position.
The seat will open following the end of the current DA Joe Gonzales’ tenure, who announced in June 2025 that he would not seek reelection.
In October 2025, two high-profile moves were made in the larger campaign conversation.
Ron Rangel, the presiding judge in Bexar County’s 379th Criminal Court, pulled his name from the running, citing “family considerations.”
And, while not officially filing to run for the seat, State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio) formed an exploratory committee for the spot.
The committee, according to a Nov. 10 news release, would be led by legal figures with over 120 years of combined experience: Therese Huntzinger, a former chief prosecutor in the District Attorney’s Juvenile Crimes Division; Bobby Barrera, past president of the San Antonio Bar Association and director for the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association; and Mario Del Prado, former chief prosecutor in the District Attorney’s Major Crimes Division.
Here are the seven candidates who have put their names in for the seat so far.
Luz Elena Chapa
Former Fourth Court of Appeals Judge Luz Elena Chapa announced her plans to run for the seat as a Democrat on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
Former Texas State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte is serving as her campaign treasurer, according to a news release.
Most recently, Chapa served as a visiting judge for the Fourth Administrative Judicial Region.
“This is important and personal to me,” Chapa said. “I live and work here; I’m raising my family here, and I care deeply about public safety and a strong, safe community. I have the experience to get the job done, having been a civil litigator and an appellate judge.
Shannon Locke
Locke, a longtime criminal defense attorney, announced his plans to run for the seat as a Democrat on Thursday, Nov. 20.
“This office belongs to the people, not to politicians,” Locke said in a news release. “In every courthouse hallway and every neighborhood I walk, I hear the same thing: people want a justice system that is firm, fair, and focused on solving problems, not scoring headlines. That’s the kind of District Attorney I intend to be.”
Ashley Foster
Foster, who filed as a Republican, made her campaign announcement on a Nov. 8 Facebook post.
“I’m running to make our community safer, our system fairer, and our future brighter,” the post stated. “This campaign is about all of Bexar County — every neighborhood, every family, every voice.”
Meli Carrión Powers
Carrión Powers, a prosecutor with more than two decades of experience, announced her Democratic candidacy on Oct. 23. She currently serves as the Chief of the Family Violence Division of the Bexar County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
“For over two decades, I have been standing shoulder-to-shoulder with victims, I have fought for children who have been abused, survivors of domestic violence, and families shattered by violent crime,” she said. “I know exactly what is at stake when we fail to prosecute dangerous offenders effectively.”
Veronica Legaretta
Legaretta, a Democrat who was one of the earliest candidates to file for the race, announced her intent to run on Oct. 17.
She previously served as a prosecutor with the Bexar County District Attorney’s office and as a criminal defense attorney.
“We have not had a female District Attorney in Bexar County since former D.A. Susan Reed and have never had a female Hispanic District Attorney in Bexar County”, Legarreta stated. “I think it’s about time for fresh eyes and a fresh perspective to solve, strategize, and eliminate the problems and issues that have existed in the Bexar County District Attorney’s office. Sometimes you need a woman to get the job done and that is exactly what I intend to do.”
The last day to file to run for Bexar County DA is Dec. 8.
KSAT will update this story as more candidates are announced.
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