The cluster of 27 candidates running for mayor of San Antonio is now down to two. After Saturday’s municipal election, no individual candidate garnered more than 50 percent of the vote. Now the two top vote getters head back to the polls for the June 7 runoff.
Former U.S. Air Force Under Secretary Gina Ortiz Jones received the most votes with 27.2% followed by former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos with 16.6%.
The two remaining candidates are similar in that they have not served previously on city council. Also, each has enjoyed funding support from outside of San Antonio.
But their policy planks can be seen as totally opposed. Ortiz Jones appeared to be the candidate most aligned with the Democratic Party and Pablos is connected to the Republic Party of Texas.
The candidates also differ on their support for reproductive rights, immigration and Project Marvel, the billion-dollar proposal to build a new downtown home for the Spurs.
City politics has a history of avoiding direct partisan affiliations. In this runoff there will be no getting around red vs blue politics.
Despite the high number of candidates there were relatively few voters. According to the Bexar County Elections Administrator’s Office, the overall turnout for the election was 9.26%.
Guests:
Sanford Nowlin is the editor of the San Antonio Current.
Andrea Drusch is the City Hall reporter for The San Antonio Report.
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This discussion will be recorded on Monday, May 5, 2025.
