Mayor Ivy Taylor declares candidacy

San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor announces her intent to run for mayor, from her home on the near east side. Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor announces her intent to run for mayor, from her home on the near east side. Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. Photo: Bob Owen, San Antonio Express-News Photo: Bob Owen, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 27 Caption Close Mayor Ivy Taylor declares candidacy 1 / 27 Back to Gallery

Mayor Ivy Taylor declared her candidacy for mayor Monday in an exclusive interview with the San Antonio Express-News.

Taylor, who was appointed mayor last summer by her council colleagues, said that she made the decision after significant thought and prayer and consultation with trusted advisers.

The mayor said she’s been “honored and excited, humbled” by leading the seventh-largest city in the U.S. since her July appointment.

“I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to be able to make an impact here,” she said. “And just after really thinking about it further, I realize how important that experience is that I have to bring to the table, that municipal-level experience.”

In recent weeks, speculation had mounted that Taylor would seek a full mayoral term, despite having told her colleagues when they appointed her last year that she had no intention of running for the seat in May. With less than three months until Election Day, she joins an already-crowded field of candidates.

That field includes former state Rep. Mike Villarreal, who has been campaigning since last summer; state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, who entered the race in November after losing her bid for lieutenant governor; and former Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson, who gave up his county seat to challenge Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff in the 2014 Democratic primary.

Taylor is one of the longest-serving members of the current council. She was elected in 2009 to the District 2 seat and won re-elections in 2011 and 2013. When then-Mayor Julián Castro announced last summer that he was resigning his position to become secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Taylor was one of several council members who became candidates for appointment. She ultimately won the position, in part because of her willingness to stay out of the May 9 mayoral race.

On Monday, Taylor explained why she thinks her change of heart won’t harm her.

“I’ve learned in these last few months this job is very dynamic and I’ve learned that I’ve got to be flexible,” she said. “My main goal, originally, was to ensure that the person in the mayor’s seat would be focused on the job and not using the job as an opportunity to campaign and be a lightning rod for the other council members, and I believe I’ve brought that to the table.

“I’ve brought focus on the issues and actually some of my colleagues have actually urged me to consider running. And so I think that they will understand the nature of the decision.”

For full coverage, visit www.expressnews.com later Monday, and read the Tuesday print edition of the San Antonio Express-News.

jbaugh@express-news.net

Twitter: @jbaugh