Air Force Veteran Gina Ortiz Jones Wins San Antonio Mayoral Runoff

Gina Ortiz Jones was elected mayor of San Antonio in a runoff, becoming the city's first openly gay leader and marking a significant political moment in Texas. She defeated Rolando Pablos, a Republican ally of Gov. Greg Abbott, with 54% of the vote, overcoming nearly $1 million in attacks and benefiting from the city's Democratic leanings despite recent gains by Donald Trump among Latino voters. Jones, a former U.S. Air Force undersecretary and Biden administration official, ran a campaign emphasizing compassion, dignity, and respect, contrasting with what she described as un-American actions at the federal and state levels. She succeeds Ron Nirenberg, who was term-limited, and will be among the first to serve a new four-year mayoral term approved by voters. Jones highlighted San Antonio's identity as a city built on compassion and expressed hope for positive local leadership amid a turbulent national political climate. Pablos acknowledged the city's Democratic majority as a factor in his loss.