Pablos Calls for Critical Reforms to City’s Campaign Finance Laws
SAN ANTONIO — Today, Rolando Pablos formally filed his application to secure a place on the May 3, 2025 San Antonio Mayoral ballot. In doing so, Pablos announced the first phase of a broader public service reform agenda for City Hall that will restore trust and accountability in municipal government and elections. Pablos encouraged other candidates in the mayoral race to support structural campaign finance reforms at City Hall.
“If we, as a unified community, are committed to transformative changes that will ensure San Antonio can reach its full potential, we have to start with the root of the rot: a broken system at City Hall that allows career politicians to exploit loopholes and betray the trust of San Antonio voters,” Pablos said.
“This means that, first and foremost, San Antonio’s campaign finance loopholes allowing candidates to use leftover campaign funds to run for other offices need to be closed. I hope that other candidates will join me in supporting this first critical reform to restore trust and integrity in public service at City Hall.”
Rolando Pablos’ Campaign Finance Reform Agenda for San Antonio City Hall
PROBLEM: It is improper for former and sitting city council members to use their city council campaign funds to finance their run for mayor. Likewise, it is improper for candidates to use leftover funds from federal campaigns – for which the contribution limits are much higher – to run for positions of public trust at San Antonio City Hall. We must close this loophole in campaign finance rules for the following three main reasons:
1. Bait and Switch: Misleading Voters and Constituents
Broken promises to constituents: When city council members campaign for their seat, they ask voters to trust them to focus on the issues impacting their district. If, after being elected, they pivot to running for mayor, it betrays the trust of voters who expected them to serve out their term and fulfill their campaign promises. This is a classic bait and switch—getting elected on one set of commitments, only to use the position as a stepping stone for personal ambition.
Deceptive fundraising tactics: Voters and constituents typically contribute to a city council candidate because they support their agenda for that specific office. Using leftover or reallocated funds to run for a higher office—without explicit consent from those who donate—misrepresents the original intent of the contributions. Essentially, these individuals funded a city council race, not a mayoral campaign, and many might not have donated if they had known the candidate would switch gears.
Exploiting public trust: This behavior erodes public confidence in the electoral process. If elected officials treat their council campaigns as mere placeholders or stepping stones, voters are left wondering whether future candidates will genuinely serve their constituents or simply use the office as a résumé builder.
2. Abuse of Power: Gaming the System to Gain an Unfair Advantage
Using incumbency for leverage: Sitting city council members already have an advantage in terms of name recognition, media access, and political influence. By leveraging campaign funds raised for their current position, they gain an unfair financial head start against other mayoral candidates who must start from scratch. This creates an unlevel playing field and discourages grassroots challengers from running.
Circumventing campaign finance limits: Campaign finance rules often cap the amount of money individuals or organizations can contribute to a candidate. By transferring city council funds to a mayoral campaign, candidates sidestep these limits, effectively doubling down on contributions that were intended for a completely different race. Additionally, using contributions from campaigns for federal office – for which the limits are much higher – represents another disturbing loophole in campaign finance laws that undermines the spirit of fair elections.
Blurring the lines of accountability: Sitting council members running for mayor often continue to use their current office to raise funds and increase visibility for their mayoral campaign. This raises ethical concerns about whether they are fulfilling their duties as council members or simply using taxpayer-funded resources (like staff, office space, and time) to bolster their own ambitions.
3. The Need to Close the Loophole
Protecting voter trust: Campaign finance laws should reflect the principle that funds raised for one office should be used solely for that office. This ensures that candidates are transparent with voters and constituents about their intentions.
Preventing undue advantages: Closing this loophole would create a level playing field, forcing all mayoral candidates to fundraise equally and directly for their campaigns. It would eliminate the head start that sitting council members currently exploit.
Encouraging genuine public service: Ensuring that campaign funds cannot be transferred between races would incentivize candidates to focus on the office they campaigned for, instead of treating it as a political ladder.
Allowing candidates to use their campaign funds from other races to run for an office at San Antonio City Hall is a betrayal of voter trust and a manipulation of campaign finance rules. It’s a bait-and-switch tactic that deceives voters and constituents, while also giving incumbents and previous candidates for other offices an unfair advantage over other candidates. This loophole must be shut down to restore fairness, accountability, and transparency to the electoral process. Without reform, these practices will continue to perpetuate career politicians at City Hall, erode public confidence in local government and reinforce the perception that elected officials care more about advancing their careers than serving their communities.
Rolando Pablos
For more information about the Pablos for Mayor campaign, to volunteer, or to contribute, please visit www.pablosformayor.com or contact (210) 260-7513.
For interview requests please email campaign@pablosformayor.com