A New Chapter for San Antonio: The Election of Mayor
Gina Ortiz Jones, won in May’s San Antonio election, becoming the first Asian-American mayor in the city’s history. Jones advanced to the June 7 runoff, alongside Rolando Pablos. She won, defeating Pablos by nine points. Replacing Ron Nirenberg, she has yet to show to the public her capabilities.
Gina Ortiz Jones, now 44, was born in 1981 in Arlington, Virginia, A first generation American, she was raised by a single mother and was taught about politics early. After graduating from Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, she served in the Air Force as Under Secretary from July 2021 to March 2023.
After taking her seat in office as a retired veteran, she will be the first in the history books as an Asian-American female mayor of a major city in Texas, the first female mayor in Texas to have served in war, and the first mayor since 2005 to have never served on San Antonio’s city council when elected.
Because she is the first Asian-American female mayor of a major Texas city, she carries the weight of representation. She could feel extra pressure to succeed and prove to others that diverse leadership can be just as effective than traditional leadership.
Ortiz Jones brings a background of discipline, service, and problem management. This will influence how she handles public safety, veterans’ issues, and city emergencies than other mayors.
Lastly, because she’s the first since 2005 to be elected mayor without ever serving on San Antonio’s city council, the public may see her as an outsider. Both have pros and cons. On one hand, she might bring fresh ideas and a new perspective. On the other hand, she will need time to build relationships and learn the city’s political system from the inside.
Her background gives her a unique set of skills but may also bring higher expectations to show us what her leadership can do!
In her campaign speech, “Priorities,” Ortiz Jones states, “We must work to bring down costs where we can, make smart investments in our future, and respect taxpayers by increasing transparency around how tax dollars are spent.”
In addition, she values achieving all of this in the least time possible, often stating her go-to quote, “There is no time to waste.”
“As Mayor, I’ll focus on the promise of San Antonio, and that means centering the needs of working families, the needs of our young people, and ways we can make City Hall more accountable to the people.” In addition she explicitly states she’ll heavily impact the matters on tax, tariffs, and investments.
Gina Ortiz will take office on June 18th. Hopefully, San Antonio will be able to look forward to a more bright and stable future with the promise of Gina Ortiz Jones.
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