Under San Antonio’s council/manager form of government, the office of mayor is structurally weak. The job has limited clout unless the occupant has enough political skill to round up a majority of council votes whenever needed.

The city’s two most recently elected mayors demonstrated how to use the office to its maximum potential. Phil Hardberger and Julián Castro were giants on the council dais who got what they wanted by exercising influence over their colleagues.

Will San Antonio be blessed enough to elect three exceptionally strong mayors in a row? That’s a tall order.

But if any of this year’s crop of 14 mayoral contenders has the potential to wield maximum clout at City Hall, it is former state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte. The 60-year-old former lawmaker has the best combination of political skill and understanding of policy among the contenders. And we recommend that voters elect her as the city’s next mayor.

Only four of the 14 candidates have a plausible case for election — Van de Putte, former state Rep. Mike Villarreal, appointed Mayor Ivy Taylor and former County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson.

Van de Putte’s more than 25 years of legislative service and her track record of working well with colleagues are the strongest credentials in the 2015 mayoral field.

After emerging as a surprise victor in a 1990 contest for the Democratic nomination to a Texas House seat, Van de Putte proceeded to put together a solid legislative career marked by her determination to help the state’s needy and ensure that military veterans are treated well in Texas. She also led the charge to pass legislation to fight human trafficking and played a vital role in expanding health care for needy children.

And Van de Putte was a steady voice for better public education, as well as an influential force on behalf of San Antonio’s institutions of higher education. Van de Putte worked well with her colleagues in Austin, including Republicans.

She also was the leader in passing legislation to reform the governance of the Alamo, which suffered from mismanagement and neglect prior to the increasing involvement of the General Land Office. Her deep knowledge about the Texas shrine and understanding of the issues surrounding efforts to protect the state treasure will be major assets if she is elected mayor.

A 2014 bid for lieutenant governor boosted Van de Putte’s political profile and showed her to be a gregarious campaigner who projected a happy warrior attitude even when confronting the insurmountable odds Democrats face in statewide races.

Throughout her legislative career, she continued her work as a pharmacist and mother of six.

Van de Putte’s mayoral candidacy has not been flawless. She needlessly sparked controversy by announcing she had transferred funds from her state campaign accounts — collected without contribution limits — to her mayoral campaign using a controversial legal analysis to address the $1,000 municipal campaign contribution limit.

She properly reversed course when, predictably, the maneuver became controversial. While the flap opened her to criticism about evading the intent of local contribution limits, she was transparent about her actions, which mainly demonstrated the complexities of addressing differing sets of rules. She made a political mistake but quickly owned up to it.

Villarreal has shown that he is a serious student of municipal issues, but his track record of clashing with colleagues in the Bexar County delegation raises doubts about his ability to consistently muster majority support on City Council and be an effective leader.

While being an appointed mayor imposes limitations, Taylor has not grown in stature or demonstrated that she has the ability to take charge during her several months as mayor.

Adkisson’s quirky approach to the campaign and city issues is entertaining but does not inspire confidence in his leadership.

Van de Putte is the candidate best suited to dealing with the routine grind of hammering out policy agreements and being the city’s ambassador to political and business leaders on a national and international level. The city is most likely to maintain political stability and continue successfully nurturing its economic development efforts with Van de Putte at the helm.