UTSA football hero Frank Harris endorses Beto Altamirano for San Antonio mayor

Harris will join Altamirano at UTSA hangout The Block for a Thursday campaign event.

click to enlarge Roadrunners quarterback Frank Harris led UTSA to back-to-back C-USA championships before retiring from football last year. - X / @thefrankharris
X / @thefrankharris
Roadrunners quarterback Frank Harris led UTSA to back-to-back C-USA championships before retiring from football last year.
Former UTSA Roadrunners quarterback Frank Harris is throwing his helmet into local politics.

Harris told the Current Monday that's he's endorsing tech entrepreneur Beto Altamirano to replace termed-out Mayor Ron Nirenberg as San Antonio's top elected official.

Harris met Altamirano for coffee and was inspired by the candidate's vision for the future of San Antonio. The UTSA grad said he likes that Altamirano, 34, is younger than other candidates in the race, adding that he found him relatable and charismatic.

"He has a vision that he wants to integrate the Valley, San Antonio and Austin, and get all these municipalities involved," Harris said. "He has a passion for San Antonio and wants to grow the city, and so do I. So, it was a no-brainer."

On Thursday, Harris will join Altamirano at UTSA hangout The Block, 14530 Roadrunner Way, for a campaign event. The gathering will run 7-9 p.m. It's free to attend, but an online RSVP is recommended.

Harris became a local sports hero after leading the Roadrunners to two consecutive Conference USA Championships in 2021 and 2022. He retired from the sport last year.

In an increasingly crowded field of candidates, Altamirano's campaign is clearly looking for endorsements that can help build name recognition and affinity, especially with younger voters.

Known for creating the city of San Antonio’s first digital service request platform, Altamirano was among the first to enter the 2025 mayoral race. He announced his candidacy in late May at Southtown’s Friendly Spot.

Since then, Altamirano's campaign — built around a platform of crime reduction, economic development and innovation — has raised more than $100,000. It reported having $60,000 on hand as of June 30.

Other candidates in the race include District 10 Councilman John Courage, District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez, District 4 Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia and developer Robert Melvin. District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda is also mulling a run, according to political observers.

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Michael Karlis

Michael Karlis is a Staff Writer at the San Antonio Current. He is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., whose work has been featured in Salon, Alternet, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Orlando Weekly, NewsBreak, 420 Magazine and Mexico Travel Today. He reports primarily on breaking news, politics...

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