Boerne mayor draws opponent in May election

A final-day filing placed the Boerne mayor’s position squarely atop the May 3 ballot.

Boerne, Fair Oaks Ranch and Boerne ISD residents will head to the polls on the first Saturday in May with several races appearing on their respective ballots. 

Boerne Mayor Frank Ritchie will be on the ballot, as resident Laura Haning filed Friday to run for mayor. Ritchie won election to the post in 2023 with nearly 76% of the vote in his first venture into politics. 

Boerne District 2 City Councilwoman Sharon Wright will again face resident Joe Bateman. The two faced off in 2023, when Wright won by 21 votes. As of noon Friday, District 4 Councilman Bret Bunker remained unopposed. 

Three Fair Oaks candidates were the first to draw opponents. Incumbent Councilmen Ruben Olvera, Place 3, and Scott Parker, Place 5, filed on Jan. 15, as did Dale Pearson, who is seeking the Place 4 seat being vacated by Councilwoman Laura Koerner, who has “termed out” of the position. 

Three opponents submitted their applications on Feb. 11: Scott Andrew Rose, opposing Olvera in Place 3; James F. Roff, filing to oppose Pearson for the Place 4 seat; and Kevin Don Cox, running against Parker in Place 5. 

Both Boerne ISD incumbents have opponents on Election Day. Filing to run against current board President Garrett Wilson, the Place 5 trustee, is Scott Newberry. 

Place 4 Trustee Maritza Gonzalez-Cooper will have to defeat challenger Sarah Faulkenberry to retain her post. 

April 3 is the last day to register to vote in the May election. Early voting runs April 22-29 at a number of locations in Kendall County.