A total of 24 candidates filed for a seat on the Bryan or College Station City Council as of Aug. 25, and there are six seats up for election in Bryan.
Those seats include mayor, Single Member District 1, Single Member District 2, Single Member District 5 and City Council At Large (Place 6); the Single Member District 3 seat is part of a special election to fill a vacancy.
Mayor Andrew Nelson, SMD 1 councilman Reuben Marin, SMD 2 councilman Prentiss Madison and At-Large, Place 6 councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Buppy Simank are all term limited and cannot run again.
Mayoral race
Bobby Gutierrez is the owner of House of Tires and La Pistola Cattle Company, and president of Gutierrez Ventures Inc. He has been in the Single Member District 3 position since November 2020. He has served on the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission, along with the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce and Bryan Business Council. If elected, he said he will strive to bring the council to a consensus.
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Brent Hairston owns Perry Properties and was elected to Single Member District 5 in 2018. He is a 1990 graduate of Texas A&M University and a member of the Bryan Rotary Club. He has served on the Bryan Brazos County Economic Development Foundation and Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. If elected, he said he plans to focus on economic growth and renovation projects in the city.
Mike Southerland is retired and served on the Bryan City Council from May 2006 to November 2012 in the At-Large, Place 6 position. He later served in the Single Member District 4 position from November 2014 to November 2020. He served in the Army for 22 years. If elected, he said he plans to look into the city budget and property tax to better meet city needs.
SMD 1 race
Raul Santana is retired after working 30 years in the manufacturing business. He said he attended two years of community college in Brownsville and San Jacinto and studied business administration. If elected, he said he wants to be involved in community efforts, help solve issues and advocate for more industry service jobs, and be a voice for residents.
Paul Torres is the owner of BenRoz Construction of Bryan. He is on the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission and previously served on the city’s Parks and Recreation Board and the Building Standard Commission. If elected, he said he plans to look into affordable housing, citizen safety, and funding the Fiestas Patrias Mexicanas of B-CS and the Bryan Little League.
SMD 2 race
Ray Arrington is retired after serving in the United States Air Force for 23 years. He graduated from the University of Colorado in 1972 with a degree in business management. He serves on the board of directors for the American Red Cross Heart of Texas, and serves as the president of the Carver-Kemp Neighborhood Association. If elected, he said he hopes to be part of the city’s continual growth and projected future for the city.
Rafael Peña III currently works as a rural regular carrier for the United States Postal Service. He previously served as councilman for District 2 from 2013-16. He served as president of the Castle Heights Neighborhood Association for three years, and as president of a local chapter of the Rural Letter Association through USPS. If elected, he said he would like to assess property taxes, utility fees and infrastructure needs.
SMD 3 race
Doris Machinski is retired after working in social services for 13 years. She graduated from Southwest Texas State University [now Texas State University] with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work. She serves on the board for Junction Five-O-Five in Bryan, and serves on the Bryan Interface Immigration Network board. She is also a surrogate parent with the Bryan Independent School District. If elected, she said she would like every Bryan resident equally considered in city government decisions.
Jared Salvato works as a commercial loan officer for Guarantee Bank & Trust of Bryan and also serves on the city’s Planning and Zoning and Parks and Recreation committees. He has served for the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce ambassador program. If elected, he said he plans to be a part of the expansion of the city, not only in Texas but nationally as well, and wants to be a part of the city’s growth.
SMD 5 race
Marca Ewers-Shurtleff has been practicing law as a solo practitioner in Downtown Bryan since January 2015. She graduated from Texas A&M University in 2006. She serves on the Bryan Business Council and the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission. She has previously served on the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment, and also served as the mayor of Stratford, Texas, from May 2010 to June 2012. If elected, she said she would like to see continued economic development and growth for the city.
Anjuli “A.J.” Renold serves as executive director for the American Red Cross Heart of Texas Chapter. She graduated from Texas A&M University in 2002, and received her master’s degree from the University of North Texas. If elected, Renold said she plans to look into the economic development of Bryan and public safety, and bring transparency to citizens regarding local government.
Kyle R. Schumann works as a procurement specialist and project coordinator and has served as chair for the Republican Party of Precinct 70 for over a year. He also attended Texas A&M University to study engineering technology and telecommunications, and before finishing he joined the Texas Army National Guard and served six years. If elected, he said he hopes to ensure effective communication between the city and residents.
At Large, Place 6 race
Kevin C. Boriskie is a Texas-licensed real estate agent for Berkshire Hathaway Homes Services Caliber Realty. He is a Texas A&M graduate who has worked in communications, management and marketing. He serves as a commissioner on the city of Bryan’s Planning and Zoning Commission and Building and Standards Committee, and is a member of the BioCorridor Advisory Board.
Patrick Giammalva is retired after working in the carpet cleaning industry and as a developer. He said he volunteers his time cleaning up streets, neighborhoods and parks in Bryan. If elected, he said he hopes to look into bettering how the city of Bryan government operates, and would like to see the Country Club Lake be well maintained and taken care of for residents.
Early voting starts Oct. 24 and the general election is Nov. 8.
For more information, visit brazosvotes.org.
