The relationships Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores has forged in her first term seem to be paying off as she seeks to fend off five primary challengers.
When Democrat Rebeca Clay-Flores defeated an incumbent to win a seat on the Bexar County Commissioners Court in 2020, she arrived with few connections from her campaign or previous jobs. raised just $32,000 for that long-shot race against a well-funded commissioner from her own party and received almost no attention from local political leaders.
In her campaign for Commissioners Court, Clay-Flores promised to bring a new perspective to a body that had never elected a woman of color. But after defeating four-term incumbentLongtime observers of the court suspected Clay-Flores would team up with Commissioner Tommy Calvert , who also represents some of the county’s most economically disadvantaged residents and has long butted heads with county leaders over spending priorities. Calvert’s father, community organizer T.C.
“I was pleasantly surprised to see that all those things that people were trying to put in my ear were wrong,” Clay-Flores said.That change in perspective has earned Clay-Flores some vocal critics who say she’s lost sight of bigger plans to shake up the system.but encountered pushback from other commissioners, including Clay-Flores, who urged commissioners to be cautious about overriding an experienced budget staff.
Democratic candidates challenging Pct. 1 Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores participate in a forum hosted by the Bexar County Tejano Democrats on Nov. 16. From left is Anna Uriegas Bustamante, Amanda Gonzalez, Ernesto Arellano Jr. and Lawson Alaniz-Picasso.”We have to be able to say as a county commissioner, I’m making the decisions on what this looks like, and that authority should go back to the county commissioners, not the county manager,”said.
At one particularly tense April 2023 meeting, she voiced opposition to the addition of more public budget meetings, telling colleagues that “while I love being county commissioner, Commissioners Court days are my least favorite day.” Among county staff and lobbyists who work with her frequently, many say they have learned to appreciate Clay-Flores’ direct, no-nonsense approach.
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