Gina Ortiz Jones gets endorsements from ex-San Antonio mayors, nearly half of city council

With a runoff looming to determine San Antonio’s next mayor, contender Gina Ortiz Jones has picked up endorsements from two former mayors, a congressman, the local sheriff and nearly half of City Council.

Over the weekend, former San Antonio mayors Phil Harberger and Julián Castro both gave their blessing to Ortiz, who served as Under Secretary of the Air Force during the Biden Administration, according to communications from the Democrat’s campaign.

Ortiz also racked up endorsements from council members Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Phyllis Viagran, Teri Castillo and newly elected Edward Mungia along with Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar and U.S Rep. Greg Casar, a progressive Democrat whose district includes parts of both Austin and San Antonio.

Meanwhile, Rolando Pablos — a Republican and former Texas Secretary of State whom Jones beat by 10 points earlier this month — appears to be watching from the sidelines. His campaign has issued no recent endorsement announcements.

A press conference featuring Jones, Salazar, Castillo, Castro and Casar was planned for Monday, but the campaign cancelled it at the last minute.

Neither Pablos nor Jones has ever held elected office, and neither had been directly involved in San Antonio city politics before entering the race.

The slew of endorsements from local and national figures could spell trouble for Pablos, who already faces an uphill battle in San Antonio, which hasn’t voted for a Republican president since 2004.

Salazar’s endorsement comes despite Pablos’ campaign heavily touting the candidate’s plan to boost funding for the city’s police and fire departments.

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