Beto Altamirano speaks during a campaign event at Southtown’s Friendly Spot last year. Credit: Michael Karlis

Former Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who spent 20-plus years as the county’s top elected official, on Thursday endorsed political newcomer Beto Altamirano in the San Antonio mayoral race.

The nod gives tech entrepreneur Altamirano, a political novice, a major boost in the crowded race to replace termed-out Mayor Ron Nirenberg.

In a statement, Wolff, who retired in 2022, said the 35-year-old Altamirano is the only candidate who “represents San Antonio’s future.”

“He embodies a new generation of leadership, much like former Mayor Henry Cisneros, who successfully ran for mayor in 1981 at the age of 33, energizing a new generation,” Wolff said.

Altamirano’s campaign has organized town halls across the city to hear resident concerns. Among other things, his platform includes economic development, mitigating the costs small businesses face from public construction projects and solving the city’s ongoing dangerous dog problem.

“I am committed to continuing Nelson Wolff’s legacy of growth, innovation and putting San Antonio’s people first,” Altamirano said of the endorsement. “By standing on the shoulders of great leaders like Nelson Wolff, I look forward to leading San Antonio into our next chapter.”

Although this is Altamirano’s first run for office, he’s not necessarily a stranger to City Hall. His Irys Technologies built the mobile app for the city’s 311 system in 2018, and he also served as vice chair of the Port Authority of San Antonio.

Altimirano also is doing a formidable job fundraising. The candidate has raised double the amount of challengers from inside City Hall, campaign finance report filings show. That puts him in the same league as former Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones and Rolando Pablos, a former Texas Secretary of State, when it comes to his war chest.

Even so, much of the money flooding into the race has come from outside Bexar County, leading some, including District 9 Councilman John Courage, also a mayoral candidate, to question the motives of deep-pocketed candidates.

Regardless, Wolff’s endorsement of Altamirano is another interesting development as the mayoral campaign season picks up steam.

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This article appears in Feb 19-25, 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,...