Another Cisneros in San Antonio politics

I first heard about on the Walker Report before Christmas, and now here's the Chron story of the official announcement: Mary Alice Cisneros is running for San Antonio City Council.

Mary Alice Cisneros, wife of former mayor and HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, will launch her campaign for a City Council seat today, aides said on Friday.

Cisneros, 57, [announced] with her husband at her side in front of their modest home. She is entering the race for a seat being vacated because of term limits. The district includes an area just west of downtown and parts of north San Antonio.

Although she served on a school board, Cisneros had shunned city politics, where her husband rose to power.

You can find a ton of pictures of the event at the Walker Report if you're interested: here, here, here, and here.

This ought to be an interesting campaign. I don't know who else is running for this seat, or even if there is someone as yet. I do know that anyone who does run is going to have to decide whether or not to dredge up the past as part or all of their strategy. We all know the basic plotline of the Henry Cisneros saga, but I daresay a lot of the details have mostly slipped out of people's minds; some people won't be aware of them at all. Will the potential gain of going that route be worth it, or will the backlash be worse? I don't envy the political consultant who has to pick an answer to that.

And yes, I'm aware that this means Mary Alice Cisneros would be getting attacked for the sins of her husband. That's unfortunate, and I wish it weren't the case, but that's often the reality for a woman who follows her husband into politics. The question, strictly from the viewpoint of someone who runs against her, is whether this is likely to be a fruitful strategy. It'd be nice to think that this race will be run solely on issues, but I wouldn't count on it.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on January 08, 2007 to Election 2007