WASHINGTON – Today, Latino Victory Fund announced the endorsement of three Latina city council candidates in San Antonio, Texas. The candidates are Phyllis Viagran for District 3 re-election, Melissa Cabello Havrda for District 6 re-election, and Marina Alderete Gavito for District 7.
Latino Victory Fund President and CEO Nathalie Rayes released the following statement:
“San Antonio is a historic city with generations worth of achievements for the Latino community. It is also a place where Latinos see strength in political representation. That is why we at Latino Victory Fund are proud to endorse three Latina candidates who will lead San Antonio forward.
“Latino elected leaders must boldly fight to create more jobs, improve their cities’ infrastructures, and care for all their residents. Marina Alderete Gavito, Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran, and Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda will do so for all constituents in San Antonio, day in and day out. We stand with our candidates for San Antonio city council to demonstrate to the rest of the nation what is possible when we elect bold Latina candidates.”
Meet the Candidates
Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran
- Phyllis Viagran was elected to serve as District 3 Councilwoman on June 15, 2021.
- The Viagran family ran the Viagran Softball Complex and owned a small business called Alamo Award and Trophies.
- Viagran graduated with degrees in Political Science and History from Texas Tech University where she served as Champlain and pledge leader for Sigma Phi Lambda.
- As a councilwoman, Viagran serves as a member of the Economic and Workforce Development Committee, the Public Safety Committee, the Planning and Community Development Committee, Community Health and Culture Committee, and the Municipal Utilities Committee. Further, Viagran has served on the San Antonio Housing Trust Public Facility Corporation, the board of directors for Visit San Antonio, the CPS Rate Advisory Committee, and was appointed to serve on the National League of Cities 2023 Transportation and Infrastructure Service Committee.
You can learn more about Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran’s campaign here.
Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda
- Melissa Cabello Havrda was elected to the San Antonio City Council on June 8, 2019.
- Councilwoman Cabello Havrda is a member of the board of directors of the San Antonio Education Partnership and the Investments Subcommittee of the San Antonio Fire and Police Pension Board.
- Melissa Cabello Havrda is a proud native of District 6 in San Antonio, Texas. She attended Taft High School in the district and earned her B.A. majoring in political science from St. Mary’s University, a Juris Doctorate from St. Mary’s University School of Law, and an MBA from UTSA.
- She is a practicing attorney and proud small-business owner, operating The Law Office of Melissa Cabello Havrda, PLLC.
You can learn more about Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda’s campaign here.
Marina Alderete Gavito
- Marina Gavito served as the Executive Director of SA Digital Connects, an organization focused on addressing the digital divide in San Antonio and Bexar County.
- Prior to SA Digital Connects, Marina’s career focused on tech and innovation for Fortune 500 corporations. At Rackspace and USAA, she led cross-departmental teams solving complex problems while driving successful business outcomes.
- Gavito is the founding Executive Director of Tech Bloc and successfully advocated for rideshare while increasing membership to over 5,000+ people.
- Gavito earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Management Information Systems and Corporate Financial Management and a Master’s in Corporate Finance from St. Mary’s University, later earning an MBA in Operations Management from DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business.
You can learn more about Marina Alderete Gavito’s campaign here.
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The Latino Victory Fund is a progressive political action committee with the mission of growing Latino political power by increasing Latino representation at every level of government – from the school board to the Senate to the White House.
