SAN ANTONIO — The coronavirus pandemic brought with it changes both big and small to daily routines, many of them in the form of orders mandating masks or limited capacities in small businesses.
Though some of those very businesses continued with safety precautions of their own after Texas's COVID-19 restrictions were lifted last year, those mandates were met with voices of dissent. One of them belonged to Nathan Buchanan, who says his frustrations motivated him to run for Bexar County judge this year.
"I was sick and tired of our local government here. I was very upset, along with many other people I've spoken with, about the mandates that were being enforced," said Buchanan, one of two Republicans campaigning for the seat being vacated by Nelson Wolff this year.
"I believe it's up to the people to decide whether they want to wear a mask and protect themselves or not."
He holds the same view about coronavirus vaccines, the approved incentives for which he believes could be used for something else.
"Local government is pushing real hard on us, trying to give incentives to get vaccines; that shouldn't be the case," Buchanan said.
A former law enforcement officer who served in the Castle Hills Police Department and Bexar County Sheriff's Office, Buchanan now runs a small cleaning business which he says was forced to shut down for a brief time during the pandemic.
He says that gives him a different perspective from others in the race, many of them better-known names who gave up elected positions in their bids to succeed Wolff.
"I've been on the bottom," Buchanan said. "I know how it is to walk through mud. I know how it is to be in a patrol car all day. I know all the pain and struggles people go through every day (while) working."
Buchanan is one of two Republicans in the race, along with former county commissioner Trish DeBerry. If you were to ask him, he'd say he was the only Republican in the race.
He's been vocal of his primary opponent on social media, even challenging her via Facebook Wednesday afternoon to a formal debate.
He needs to win a majority of the Republican primary votes on March 1 to advance to November's general election. Should he be elected, Buchanan said his priorities would be improving conditions at the county jail, getting resources to homeless residents, addressing growing property taxes and loosing the government's grip on the private sector—among other issues.
"There's a lot of things we need to fix in this county," he told KENS 5. "We can be here all day, literally."
Regardless, he's sticking low to the ground when it comes to funding his campaign, saying he's refusing donations from major corporations or influencers. Buchanan points to that as something voters should consider when it comes to choosing between him and DeBerry.
"I'm not going to be compromised. I'm not going to put my integrity at jeopardy for a check. I have turned down a lot of money," he said. "I can't say that about my opponent."
Watch Eyewitness News at 10 all week to hear from the other candidates running for Bexar County judge, and click here for more election resources.