Gina Ortiz Jones elected San Antonio's first LGBT mayor in runoff race

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https://sanantonio.culturemap.com/news/city-life/gina-ortiz-jones-elected-mayor/

Gina Ortiz Jones elected San Antonio's first LGBT mayor in runoff race
By Brandon Watson
Jun 9, 2025 | 8:30 am

San Antonio voters chose Gina Ortiz Jones as their next mayor in a runoff election June 7. The two-time Democratic congressional candidate bested former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos in an often bitter battle that began with a crowded 27-candidate field.

After none of the mayoral candidates reached the 50-percent threshold for election during the low-turnout May 3 general, Ortiz Jones and Pablos headed to a runoff marked by unusual partisan rancor. With a 17-percent voter turnout, Ortiz Jones nabbed 54 percent of the vote to Pablos’ 46 percent.

Ortiz Jones grew up in San Antonio as the first-generation American daughter of a single mother. After graduating from John Jay High School in 1999, she went on to serve in the United States Air Force. After two unsuccessful bids for Texas Congress, she was named the Under Secretary of the Air Force by the Biden administration.

The San Antonio mayoral election marked a historic moment for the city. Ortiz Jones is only the third woman and the first openly LGBT-plus person to hold the office. She enlisted in the Air Force under the notorious “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy enacted during Bill Clinton's presidential term.

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