Democrat Ron Nirenberg fended off Republican Patrick Von Dohlen in the Bexar County Judge race Tuesday night.
“My name is Ron Nirenberg, and I am honored to be your next Bexar County Judge,” he told supporters at an election night party at Backyard on Broadway.
The two men were on opposite sides of many issues during Nirenberg’s eight years as the mayor of San Antonio, including legal fights over whether to allow Chick-fil-A in the San Antonio International Airport, funding for the city’s first Advanced Rapid Transit bus lines and a controversial reproductive health fund.
After terming out as mayor last year, Nirenberg raised eyebrows by launching a Texans for Ron Nirenberg PAC, writing a political memoir and reportedly considered a gubernatorial bid.
With few viable paths to higher office, however, the politically ambitious Texas Democrat chose to pursue the county’s top leadership role, once held by his political mentor Nelson Wolff.
To do so, he first defeated incumbent Peter Sakai by a nearly 25-point margin in the Democratic primary, and has laid out a vision for taking county government beyond its traditional roles of running the court system, the jail and emergency response services.
After the first wave of results were counted, Nirenberg held a big lead over Von Dohlen with more than twice as many votes.
“Most people think, Bexar County, all they do is provide your tax bill and a jury summons. But I want you to expect more,” Nirenberg said at an Oct. 15 debate hosted by the San Antonio Report.
Von Dohlen, meanwhile, said he was running to stop his old foe.
“My motivation for getting in this race was to stop Ron Nirenberg from becoming Bexar County Judge,” he said at the same event.
While declaring victory on Tuesday night, Nirenberg noted early results statewide that favored other Democrats. He said those would help Bexar County push forward some of his priorities, but urged unity.
“The people of Texas have entrusted us with the responsibility of governing, and so this is where Bexar County must lead, to show how each and every one of us can come together, and show how we can move our communities forward together,” he said. “The tent grows bigger, not smaller. We govern for everyone.”
This story first appeared in the San Antonio Report.
