Texans Pick Mayors; El Paso Runoff Seen

The mayors of Dallas and Ft. Worth easily won reelection Saturday, and San Antonio’s former mayor regained her office by a commanding margin as elections were held in four Texas cities.

The least predictable contest appeared to be for mayor in El Paso, where political observers forecast a runoff from the six-candidate race.

In Dallas, with 151 of 299 precincts reporting, Mayor Annette Strauss had 73% of the vote to 20% for attorney Peter Lesser.

In San Antonio, former Mayor Lila Cockrell won with 59% of the vote to 31% for insurance executive Carl Mauthe.

Cockrell, who was mayor of San Antonio from 1975 to 1981, was supported by the man who replaced her, Henry G. Cisneros, a leading Latino political figure. Cisneros, beset by personal problems, decided against seeking a fifth term.

Ft. Worth Mayor Bob Bolen, who faced no serious opposition in his bid for a fourth two-year term, won with 89% of the tally.

In El Paso, with only absentee ballots counted, City Council member Suzy Azar had 32% of the vote total to 27% for Mayor Pro Tem Ed Elsey. The other four candidates did not receive significant votes. If no one gets a majority of the vote, the top two finishers will face off May 27.