Candidate Profile -- Diego Bernal, City Council District 1
QSanAntonio.com, June 4, 2011

On May 16, the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio endorsed Diego Bernal in the runoff election for City Council District 1 two days after he came in first in the Municipal Election. Bernal will face off against retired firefighter Ralph Medina on June 11. Two of Bernal's opponents, Carolyn Kelly and Chris Forbrich, as well as the San Antonio Express-News, have endorsed him.

Can you tell us about your personal background?
My father was a farmworker and social worker, my mother is in education. I was raised in San Antonio and went to public schools here (Arnold, Tafolla and Jefferson), after which I attended the University of Michigan where I earned a BA in Sociology, a Masters of Social Work and a law degree. I returned to San Antonio permanently and started working as a civil rights attorney. I've recently transitioned into private practice where I will do similar cases, but on the consumer side (real estate fraud, contract fraud and predatory lending cases, among others).

What do you see as the primary concerns for the citizens of District 1?
The reason I am running is because I care about people. At the end of the day everything an officeholder does is to, or should, improve the everyday quality of life of people and their families. Even when we discuss grand political ideas like economic development or improving commercial corridors, the success of those plans must be measured in a way that accounts for the good they have brought to people. Dollars and cents matter, absolutely, but the community must be the ultimate beneficiary.

Also, there is a lot of neglect in D1. I live in a neighborhood - my old neighborhood, in fact - that has been overlooked and mostly forgotten for a long time. I always say, "A pothole stops being a pothole when it's been there for 30 years." People want their city government to care about them, and right now many believe it does not. This is certainly among my priorities.

Add in economic development, incubating small business, support for the arts, education and securing money for downtown and the residential areas (separately) and you have a good idea of what I believe are starting points.

What in your background uniquely qualifies you for this office?
I'm an advocate and that is what this district and the people who live here need.
Furthermore, it is the most eclectic and unique district in the city and needs an equally diverse city councilperson. As a civil rights attorney, social worker, small business investor, musician and lifelong resident I believe I can field and respond accordingly to the variety of voices in D1.

What do you think are your advantages over your opponent?
Aside from what I listed above, I believe my ability to bring people together- "build consensus" in political speak- is certainly an advantage. We now enjoy the support of Chris Forbrich, Carolyn Kelley, the Express-News, SEIU, Unite Here, the Stonewall Democrats, the Bexar County Young Democrats, Mayor Castro, State Rep. Joaquin Castro, Mike Villarreal and others. We started with very little public support outside of Joaquin, and from there we demonstrated our ability to bring people in, find common ground, and move forward. For example, Chris and Carolyn are not just endorsing me, both are so gracious and professional that they are actually trying to help us win, lending us their work as well as their names.

It's very humbling, but I am also very proud that we've been able to do it.

District 1 is home to many of the city's "gayborhoods." Will you be doing any special outreach to the GLBT citizens in those areas?
Yes. I recognize the strong presence of the GLBT community in D1 and want the community to know that our vision for the district includes them. As a civil rights attorney I know how important inclusion and opportunity are. If we are to be among the great cities in the country we need communities and policies that reflect that stature, and we must move in the right direction. I want to be a part of, if not lead, that effort.

Do you have any words for the citizens of District 1 as the runoff nears?
Please vote. Don't let someone make up your mind for you.

Election Results -- City Council District 1
Chris Forbrich -- 656 -- 12.38%
Carolyn Kelley-- 837 -- 15.80%
Diego Bernal -- 2,148 -- 40.54%
Lauro A. Bustamante -- 50 -- 2.83%
Ralph Medina -- 1,507-- 28.44%

GLBT group endorses Bernal in District 1 race
QSanAntonio.com, March 1, 2011

A group of GLBT and allied activists will announce today that they are forming a coalition to elect attorney Diego Bernal to the San Antonio City Council District 1. The press release, which follows below was released early to gay media sources.

The group which includes Eric Alva, Luis Carlos Freay, Ana Perez-Ingram and Joe Arriola say that one of their goals is "is to raise awareness that we have a very qualified, articulate, and sincere LGBT ally, running for City Council."

The District 1 race is a five-way contest. Besides Bernal the other contenders are Carolyn Kelley, Ralph Medina, Lauro Bustamente and Chris Forbrich, a gay man who in the last election garnered nearly 40 percent of the vote against incumbent Mary Alice Cisneros.

Following is the press release issued by the Bernal coalition:

Dear Friends,

It is an honor for me to be supporting Diego Bernal for City Council, District One, and to announce a coalition of LGBT/Allied supporters of Diego Bernal. I became aware of Diego's candidacy through a story in the Express News and from what I read, I knew immediately that this was a candidate that I was eager to learn more about. I reached out to Diego and questioned him on his views of social justice, human rights, LGBT equality and how he would incorporate equality and fairness into our city government. I was not disappointed.

I recently arranged for a small group of activists in the LGBT-Allied community to meet with Diego and they too walked away from that meeting with the feeling that this man has the knowledge, the depth, and the ability to be an articulate voice and strong advocate for LGBT equality and fairness in San Antonio. The impression was so great, that the group has committed to hosting a fundraiser for Diego on March 23rd. Those supporters and hosts of the upcoming fundraiser for Diego include; Joe Arriola and Kris Sumantri, Eric Alva, Luis Carlos Freay, Ana Perez-Ingram, and myself. During this meeting, Diego committed to supporting two important and very symbolic issues for our community.

1. As a City Councilman, Diego will support and advocate for the idea of a LGBT Community Center as a necessary resource for our community. To have a voice on the City Council advocating for something our community has struggled to create, will give us an important and credible ally in city government.

2. As a City Councilman, Diego has committed to participate in our Annual Pride Parade. While this is not a policy issue; the symbolism of city council participation is enormous. For years, our community has invited the San Antonio City Council members to participate in our Pride Parade and those invitations have been consistently ignored. Diego will be the first straight/allied City Councilman to recognize and respect our community through his participation.

I believe that Diego will follow through on theses pledges and is not your typical "election year supporter". I believe this to be true, based on the work he has done in his two professions as a social worker and attorney. Diego and I both earned our Master of Social Work Degrees from The University of Michigan. I can tell you firsthand that this university teaches and instills social justice and advocacy; and to have their graduates fight against social injustice, wherever it occurs. As an attorney, Diego specializes in civil rights and has worked as an attorney for MALDEF; need I say more. He believes that civil rights are human rights for everyone. These are the values that are instilled in Diego Bernal.

Please know that this is not about supporting one candidate over another; as there are other qualified candidates in this race. Our support for Diego Bernal is about supporting the best qualified candidate to represent an area of our city that is important to the LGBT community. It is about supporting an advocate with the depth, knowledge, and the know-how to be an articulate voice for equality and fairness. It is about supporting the candidate who who truly wants to give back to his home city and work toward making our city a better place for all its citizens. These are the reasons we are supporting Diego Bernal for City Council.

Please join us on March 23rd from 6-8 at the Skyroom of the Vidorra Condominiums for a fundraiser for Diego. Even if you are not ready to commit your support to Diego, we would like to encourage you to attend and have the opportunity to meet this amazing candidate. He is an ally and we believe that he will have a bright future in elective office and he is someone that our community needs to know. You can give what you can afford or give nothing at all, if you just want the opportunity to meet with Diego. We hope you will consider attending.

Sincerely,
Darrell Parsons, Joe Arriola, Kris Sumantri, Eric Alva, Luis Carlos Freay, and Ana Perez-Ingram

Forbrich responds to formation of Bernal coalition
QSanAntonio.com, March 1, 2011
District 1 City Council candidate Chris Forbrich says that a GLBT coalition formed to support one of his opponents, attorney Diego Bernal, will only serve to divide the gay community at a time when unity is desperately needed.