San Antonio mayor election results: Gina Ortiz Jones, Rolando Pablos in runoff
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San Antonio mayoral candidates Gina Ortiz Jones and Rolando Pablos. Photos: Courtesy of the Gina Ortiz Jones for San Antonio mayor campaign and Pablos for mayor campaign
Candidates Gina Ortiz Jones and Rolando Pablos will face off in a June 7 runoff election to be San Antonio's next mayor, election results showed Saturday.
Why it matters: San Antonio voters opted for candidates without local City Hall experience for the first time in decades, instead choosing two people with strong ties to Democratic and Republican party politics in a typically nonpartisan race.
- Current city councilmembers did not come close to making the runoff.
State of play: San Antonio voters had 27 candidates to choose from, all vying in the city's first open mayoral race in 16 years.
The intrigue: The city has not elected a mayor who didn't serve on the council since 2005, when voters chose Phil Hardberger over then-District 7 Councilmember Julián Castro. (Castro wouldn't become mayor until 2009.)
Catch up quick: Mayor Ron Nirenberg reached his term limits after eight years in office, making him the city's longest-serving mayor since Henry Cisneros in the 1980s.
- San Antonio's next mayor will serve for four years after voters approved increasing term length from two years. They will work alongside at least four new city councilmembers.
- There won't be another City Council election until 2029.
The latest: Results showed top candidates earning:
- Gina Ortiz Jones: 27.2%
- Rolando Pablos: 16.61%
- Beto Altamirano: 12.05%
- Adriana Rocha Garcia: 9.89%
- Manny Pelaez: 7.31%
- Melissa Cabello Havrda: 6.66%
- John Courage: 5.56%
- Clayton Perry: 5.51%
Zoom in: Ortiz Jones is a former Air Force undersecretary who was twice the Democratic nominee for the 23rd Congressional District.
- Pablos is a former Texas secretary of state who has also served as a senior adviser to Gov. Greg Abbott.
What they're saying: "Thank you to my team, our amazing supporters, and of course those that entrusted me with their vote," Ortiz Jones said in a statement. "We know what's at stake for San Antonio — and the good news is my team doesn't get out-worked."
- "The fact that no sitting city councilmember finished in the top three positions tonight is a clear sign that San Antonio voters are sick of business as usual," Pablos said in a statement Saturday.
The big picture: The new mayor will lead San Antonio at a pivotal time, as officials are looking to gain public support for a new downtown Spurs arena that could be surrounded by a sports and entertainment district.
- They will also lead the city through the remaining years of the Trump administration, under which San Antonio has lost millions of dollars in federal funding.
But voters showed low enthusiasm for the election. Turnout stood at 9.26% across Bexar County, which includes voters outside the city of San Antonio.
- Early voting and Election Day overlapped with Fiesta this year.
What's next: Early voting for the June 7 runoff election will begin May 27 and extend through June 3.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the latest election results.