San Antonio mayoral runoff: Gina Ortiz Jones wins

Gina Ortiz Jones has clinched victory in the high-stakes San Antonio mayoral runoff, defeating Rolando Pablos with 54.3% of the vote in a race that drew national attention and record local turnout The final tally: 77,484 votes for Jones and 65,202 for Pablos, according to unofficial results.

Jones, a 44-year-old West Side native and former Air Force undersecretary in the Biden administration, becomes the first openly gay mayor of San Antonio and only the third woman to hold the city’s top office She succeeds Ron Nirenberg, who was term-limited after serving since 2017.

The runoff, held June, followed a crowded May primary with 27 candidates. Jones entered the runoff with a strong lead and weathered nearly $1 million in attack ads from Pablos and Republican allies Despite the nonpartisan nature of the election, the contest became sharply partisan, with Jones painted by opponents as a progressive and Pablos, a former Texas secretary of state, aligning closely with GOP leaders.

Voter turnout reached nearly 17%, with over 143,000 ballots cast—more than 40,000 above the May election This year’s winners will serve the city’s first-ever four-year terms, a change approved by voters last November.

In her victory speech, Jones emphasized unity and compassion:.

“We reminded them that our city is about compassion, and it’s about leading with everybody in mind,” she told supporters.

The election outcome signals that San Antonio remains a Democratic stronghold, even as broader shifts in Texas politics continue to draw national interest.