Rolando Pablos speaks to the media at his campaign’s watch party. Credit: Sanford Nowlin

With the majority of votes counted in Saturday’s election, former Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones and one-time Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos appear to be headed to a June 7 runoff to determine which will be San Antonio’s next mayor.

The contest is the first San Antonio mayoral race since 2009 not to feature an incumbent. It’s also notable both for its sheer number of candidates — 27 — and its influx of hundreds of thousands of dollars in outside cash.

Neither of the candidates headed to the runoff has previously worked in San Antonio city government. It’s been since the 2005 election of retired judge Phil Hardberger that a City Hall outsider has been elected mayor.

Jones — a two-time Democratic congressional candidate who would be San Antonio’s first LGBTQIA+ mayor — secured more than 27% of the vote around 10:40 p.m., while Pablos, a Republican with ties to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, won around 16%.

Despite raising more than $500,000 and engaging in a vigorous boots-on-the-ground campaign, tech entrepreneur Beto Altamirano came in third with roughly 12% of the vote. Of the five current and former City Council members in the race, only District 4’s Adriana Rocha Garcia broke the 10% threshold.

“The big picture observation is that the voters thought that outsiders with no City Council experience were preferable to sitting and former City Council members,” said Jon Taylor, a political scientist with the University of Texas at San Antonio. “Outside money played a key role in boosting Pablos in particular, although Jones benefited from a substantial infusion of outside money too.”

Members of the media stand outside Gina Ortiz Jones’ campaign headquarters. The campaign’s watch party was not open to the public. Credit: Michael Karlis

Despite coming in first place, Jones’ campaign declined comment to the Current and said they would issue a statement Sunday morning. Her watch party was an intimate event closed off to the media — something unusual in San Antonio political campaigns.

During his watch party, Pablos said voting shows San Antonians are eager for change. He added that he and the other top-placing candidates all prioritized addressing the city’s longstanding problem with generational poverty.

“I think people wanted change. It’s obvious,” Pablos said. “None of the council people even made the top three; the top three were outsiders. So, I think the outsider message that resonated is that people want to see San Antonio go in a different direction.”

While Pablos ran as a fiscal conservative, he said he’s eager to find common ground with the progressive-dominated council on how to make city government work better.

Altamirano’s campaign generated early excitement and picked up the endorsement of longtime Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. However, in the end, the tech-industry insider failed to close the gap.

“This campaign was never about me,” Altamirano told supporters shortly after conceding. “This campaign is the story of all of us collectively to make sure that our kids and our children and grandchildren chose San Antonio as their future. To shape a city that is just, inclusive and forward looking.”

Altamirano added that his foray into politics is just beginning.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Altamirano said. “I’m 35 years old, time is on my side. This is still our city, and this is still our moment.”

UTSA’s Taylor said Jones’ strong showing against Pablos doesn’t ensure a runoff victory. Much of the former Texas Secretary of State’s support came from North Side districts that tend to boast higher voter turnout.

“While Jones leads, she faces the challenge of ramping up support in order to offset the areas of San Antonio that Pablos captured tonight — areas that traditionally [experience] turnout in higher numbers and vote conservative.”

Beto Altamirano addresses supporters during his concession speech. Credit: Michael Karlis

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This article appears in Apr 30 – May 13, 2025.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...

Sanford Nowlin is editor-in-chief of the San Antonio Current. He holds degrees from Trinity University and the University of Texas at San Antonio, and his work has been featured in Salon, Alternet, Creative...