Magazine publisher Eliot Garza dropped out of the race for the District 8 Council seat Tuesday evening, and announced his support for Ron Nirenberg, associate general manager of KRTU, Trinity University’s radio station, who’s running against engineer Rolando Briones. According to several sources, Garza cited his family’s new baby as the reason he was withdrawing.

Garza was preparing for his sixth annual NSIDE gala Wednesday afternoon and was unavailable to speak about his decision to withdraw. But he sent a text message that read in part:

“... Ron has the right vision for San Antonio, has a demonstrated track record in the community and can be trusted to be fair with all people. He has a balanced perspective that will represent our diverse community in District 8.”

Now that the 2012 elections are over, the real task of governing begins and the first significant date Texas’ to-do list is First Filing Day, when members-elect of the upcoming session can file bills for consideration. It provides a sort of gauge for what to expect during the session, and this session’s First Filing Day is no exception.

Several members of the Bexar County legislative delegation were among the first to file bills Monday, including Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (R-San Antonio) who filed the first bill in the Texas House, HB 21, to create a domestic-violence registry database. This is the same bill Martinez Fischer filed as HB 100 during the last biennium; it died in committee.

Martinez Fischer also introduced HB 23, or as I call it, The Scarlet Letter Bill, which would require sex offenders to post offenses they are convicted of and other identifying information on their social media account profiles, provided the terms of their convictions allow access to social media.

It’s after-hours two months before the November elections when a cordial Ron Rangel, 379th District Court Judge, greets me on the third floor of the Bexar County Justice Center. He makes easy small talk with the custodial staff as he escorts me toward his office, which is soaking quietly in late afternoon sun. The walls are unobtrusively decorated with diplomas and certifications. Framed family photographs are propped up near the window behind him. He takes his seat with no particular haste. A painting by his daughter momentarily captures my attention.

“Chronologically 44,” Rangel was first elected to the bench in 2008 after stints as a prosecutor and a decade as a criminal-defense attorney. To the legal outsider, the jobs may appear similar – just two sides of the same coin – but Rangel happily sheds some light on a key difference.

“The beautiful thing about being a prosecutor is that you're a lawyer and you get to work your case inside a courtroom,” he says. His hands splay vertically on the word inside. “When you're a defense attorney ... it's frustrating. You're a lawyer and a businessman. If you don't collect, you don't make any money."

The political makeup of the Fourth Court of Appeals will change dramatically next year, when three Democratic attorneys replace the Republican justices they defeated in Tuesday’s election. Chief Justice Catherine Stone was the sole Democrat on the seven-member court, but the new lineup will favor the Ds four to three.

Former Bexar County DA Steve Hilbig lost to San Antonio resident Luz Elena Chapa, a political newcomer who was supported by former Fourth Court Chief Justice Alma Lopez.

Judge Phyllis Speedlin, who came under public fire for a campaign contribution that appeared directly tied to a ruling, lost to Rebeca Martinez, a graduate of the Boston University School of Law who also lives in San Antonio.

Patricia Alvarez, a Laredo trial attorney and UT School Law alum, defeated Rebecca Simmons.

Election Day in Bexar County turned into a night of mixed results, depending on where you sat. Neither party swept the races, compared to 2008 when Democrats enjoyed dramatic gains or 2010 when Republicans erased them and then some. Last night almost seemed like it brought balance to the parties in the county.

After record increases in early voting on the Northside and slightly anemic turnout in the other quadrants of the county, Election Day turnout evened things out, with more than 144,000 votes cast, surpassing even the predictions of election officials. Overall turnout was 56 percent, with 72 percent casting their votes before Tuesday. Turnout remained true with the past two presidential elections, dropping about 1 percent each cycle.

The most watched election locally was the mayor’s Pre-K initiative, which was publicly debated in a long series of public forums and pitches by business leaders, elected officials, and activists from both sides. City Manager Sheryl Sculley said last night she had made time during the past couple of months to be available to speak on it whenever asked.

PdA illustrator Jeremiah Teutsch has caricatured several of the November 6 winners and losers since we first launched in January 2011. Here they are, with their Election Day scores. Numbers reported are taken from the Texas Secretary of State, the Bexar County Elections Administrator, and the Texas Tribune.