SAN ANTONIO – Former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg officially announced his bid for Bexar County judge.
Nirenberg held an event to make the “big announcement” on Saturday at Backyard on Broadway.
“I left the mayor’s office clear-eyed about the challenges we’re facing and certain about what it takes to solve them,” Nirenberg said.
“That’s why today, I do have an announcement,” he continued. “My name is Ron Nirenberg, and I am running for Bexar County Judge.”
Several supporters spoke during Nirenberg’s announcement, including his campaign treasurer Jorge Herrera, District 2 councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, and former Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff.
During the event, speakers highlighted Nirenberg’s accomplishments as mayor and his vision for Bexar County’s future.
“This race is about the future of Bexar County and determining what kind of shared future we want to build together,” Nirenberg said.
Nirenberg had submitted his Appointment of Campaign Treasurer form on Monday, a step into filing to run for an office.
“We are the results of our actions, not our ambitions, he said. ”I’m running to do things, I’m running to change things. I’m running to lead when we need it the most.”
“I’m excited to earn your vote in the coming months, and with your help, we will fulfill the potential of a community on the rise,” Nirenberg said. “And so let’s rise up together, Bexar County. It’s time to get to work.”
Nirenberg served as San Antonio’s mayor from 2017 to 2025, leading the city through significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 winter storm crisis.
Ron Nirenberg goes 1-on-1 with KSAT
In an exclusive interview with KSAT’s RJ Marquez before his announcement, Nirenberg emphasized his focus on continuing progress at the local level, particularly addressing public safety concerns, jail overcrowding, and protecting the Edwards Aquifer.
“Solving the issues of housing and economic mobility and cost of living, those issues are happening here at the local level, not on the Senate floor in Austin,” Nirenberg said.
Among his top priorities, Nirenberg highlighted the need to address a significant case backlog at the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
“There’s a thousand plus, 1,500 plus backlog over the DA’s office because they lack resources to actually adjudicate those cases,” he said. “We’ve got to get people who don’t need to be in jail out so we can put violent offenders in.”
Environmental protection, particularly of the Edwards Aquifer, ranks high on Nirenberg’s agenda.
“If we ever compromise the aquifer, there goes our security economically, there goes our life,” he said, while noting the need to balance development with water resource protection.
The former mayor also addressed the recent passage of Proposition B and plans for revitalizing the East Side. He emphasized the importance of maximizing resources through private sector partnerships.
“We need to make sure that we’re getting the most out of the resources that we are putting in,” Nirenberg said. “You’ve got to have a leader that’s going to be focused, that’s going to negotiate.”
Focused on county’s future, not opponent, Nirenberg says
Nirenberg announced his candidacy for Bexar County Judge, setting up a challenge against incumbent Peter Sakai in what promises to be a high-profile local race.
Following rumors that Nirenberg might run in October, incumbent County Judge Peter Sakai suggested on social media that his bid was motivated by broader political ambitions.
“At one point Ron’s bags were packed for DC. At one point he was running for Governor, then Senator,” Sakai said in a Oct. 17 post. “Now, despite at one point telling the Express-News he wasn’t running for County Judge, it’s clear Ron never found the greener pastures he dreamed of.”
In response to those comments, Nirenberg said he was focused on the issues and not the comments by his opponents.
“I’m not running against Peter. I’m running for the future of this county,” Nirenberg said, “and that’s going to be my focus moving forward.”
After Nirenberg’s announcement Saturday, Sakai sent a written statement to KSAT stating that nothing has changed regarding his commitment to Bexar County.
“If anyone looks at the moment we are in and thinks what we need is a Democrat vs. a Democrat fight, they don’t get it,” Sakai said, in part. “Voters are going to have a clear choice: Ron wants to build a jail and promote divisiveness; I want to help people put food on the table and take care of each other in solidarity.”
Sakai’s full statement can be read below:
I have always been a DEMOCRAT.
Nothing today has changed my commitment to fight for Bexar County – for working families.
Listen, Ron can talk about redundancy all he wants… but the truth is in the record. I put Prop B on the ballot to give a chance to downtown city plans. While he held closed door meetings and signed NDAs that kept the County and the public in the dark.
Ron wants to talk about visionary leadership; I developed innovative programs that increased the adoption rate of foster kids 10-fold.
In the last three (3 years), I have invested in resources to directly assist our neighbors – Public Safety, Access to Public Health, Economic Development and more.
But if anyone looks at the moment we are in and thinks what we need is a Democrat vs. a Democrat fight, they don’t get it.
Our government in DC has refused to fund SNAP cuts during the government shutdown that our left our neighbors, our children, hungry.
The draconian cuts to Medicaid put both seniors and children at risk. Tariffs are threatening the manufacturing jobs and small business owners so many of us fought to bring to San Antonio.
Voters are going to have a clear choice: Ron wants to build a jail and promote divisiveness; I want to help people put food on the table and take care of each other in solidarity.
Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai
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