On June 7, 2025, voters in San Antonio, Texas elected Gina Ortiz Jones as their next mayor, defeating Republican Rolando Pablos with 54.3% of the runoff vote to Pablo’s 45.7%. The election marks a significant moment as Jones becomes the first open LGBTQ+ and first Filipina-American mayor of San Antonio, and the first to serve under San Antonio’s new 4-year-term structure. This was a margin of approximately 12,000 ballots out of nearly 143,000 casts.

As Jones, a two times Democratic congressional candidate, faced a high polarized runoff, she campaigned on a platform of compassion and inclusivity. She also pledged to prioritize pre-K programs, create more affordable housing, and create a downtown arena project. Jones’ competitor, Pablos, originally the Secretary of Texas, was unable to overcome Jones’s appeal, even though he had made himself a unity candidate.

The election broke traditions in many ways as San Antonio hadn’t even elected a mayor without City council experience since 2005; Jones had no prior experience. The city has also never elected an openly LGBTQ+, specifically gay, mayor. However, this made her a popular candidate for the LGBTQ+ community, leading to her increase in votes. She is also the third ever woman to hold the office.

Voter turnout surged in the June runoff to roughly 17% of registered voters, a significant rebound from the 9.3% in the May 3 general election. Both parties invested a lot as the Republican groups spent almost $800,000 in hopes of boosting their campaign, while the Democratic groups organized the Texas Democratic Party and Fields of Change to try to win over the people.

Gina Ortiz Jones is set to take office on June 18th 2025, replacing incumbent Ron Nirenberg, San Antonio’s longest serving mayor since the 1980s. Key issues awaiting her inquiry are the 31-million dollar projected budget deficit, advancing the Spur arena and implementing education and workforce policies she campaigned on. In an interview after the election, Gina Ortiz Jones stated that, “There’s no time to waste,” and committed to working with the City Council to have a sharper partisan unity.

New mayor Gina Ortiz Jones assumes office as San Antonio stands at crossroads, balancing her ambitious projects with the growing demands of equity and governance.