The Uvalde City Council District 5 race will go to a runoff, with 18 votes separating the top two candidates, according to unofficial results. Jo-Anna Kruse led with 371 votes, followed by Vincent Salazar with 353. Mike Koury received 178 votes. Another 187 voters left the race blank, and two ballots were invalidated because they selected more than one candidate.
Under the Uvalde City Charter, a candidate must receive a majority of votes cast to win. Because no candidate did, the top two, Kruse and Salazar, will face each other in the runoff to decide the District 5 seat. The charter says the runoff must be held on the third Saturday after the general or special election, or on the nearest date required by state law.
In other council races, incumbent Ernest Santos won re-election in District 1 with 360 votes to Sorayda Arellano Sanchez's 324. Claudia Rodriguez ran unopposed in District 3.
The Uvalde County Elections Office has until Nov. 17 to complete the canvass and certify results. As of 10:41 a.m. on Nov. 4, Kruse said she was waiting to hear from the city about next steps. Salazar and city manager Joe Cardenas did not respond to requests for comment before publication. City staff said Cardenas was out of the office. The results remain unofficial until the canvass is complete.