Gina Ortiz Jones Makes History as New San Antonio Mayor

On June 7, Gina Ortiz Jones won a runoff election in San Antonio, becoming the first openly gay mayor of the seventh-largest city in the United States. She is also the first Asian American woman to serve as mayor of a major city in Texas.

In the initial round of the mayoral election, none of the 27 candidates earned a majority of the vote, forcing the runoff race where Jones secured 54.3% of the vote, beating former Texas Secretary of State and Republican Rolando Pablos.

As the former Under Secretary of the Air Force in the Biden Administration, Jones, 44, will succeed Ron Nirenberg, who served the maximum allowed terms. Her political views were closely aligned with those of Nirenberg, who was first elected in 2017 and was known for his progressive stances on issues like LGBTQ+ rights and climate change.

While addressing supporters at 9:30 p.m., Jones said, “We reminded them that our city is about compassion and it’s about leading with everybody in mind, and when one side offered racism, we offered compassion and focused on getting things done.” (https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/san-antonio-mayor-election-20360787.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

In her campaign, Jones spoke about her childhood experiences, which helped shape her commitment to public service and giving back to the community. Raised by a single mother who immigrated from the Philippines, her family had to rely on reduced-price school lunches and subsidized housing. These early challenges instilled in her a sense of duty to serve others.

Because of those experiences, Jones says she will focus on minimizing the financial burdens faced by lower-income families. When she is sworn in on June 18 as the second mayor of Asian heritage to lead a city that is closely associated with Mexican American culture, she plans to bring down prices, make smart investments for the future, and ensure that taxpayer dollars are used wisely.

In an interview prior to the election, Jones said, “I want to make sure that we are a city that is serving everybody.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/07/us/gina-ortiz-jones-elected-san-antonio-mayor.html)

Additionally, she highlighted the urgency to take action for San Antonio’s future, claiming there is “no time to waste.” Jones says that the work she will prioritize in her first 100 days includes centering the needs of the working class and making the City Hall more accountable to people.

Jones’ election marks a milestone for representation in San Antonio. She now faces the challenge of turning that historic win into progress for the city.

According to San Antonio News, former San Antonio mayor Julián Castro said, “I think tonight San Antonio sent a strong message that everybody counts in this city. The city sent a strong message that it would reject bigotry and the division of Donald Trump and Greg Abbott.” Later, he added that voters chose “a leader who wants everybody to prosper in our community.”