Former Air Force Under Secretary Gina Ortiz Jones joins San Antonio mayoral race

Former U.S. Air Force Under Secretary and two-time congressional candidate Gina Ortiz Jones on Wednesday officially joined the crowded raft of candidates vying to become San Antonio’s next mayor.

The number of hopefuls vying to replace termed-out Mayor Ron Nirenberg has now blown well past a dozen.

Jones’ campaign announcement coincided with that of District 6 San Antonio Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda, who declared her candidacy at a Wednesday morning press conference at City Hall.

Jones exclusively unveiled her bid the same morning in an exclusive interview with the Express-News. A website for her campaign also launched this week, according to the San Antonio Report, although it appears to have been taken down as of press time.

A San Antonio native, Jones graduated from John Jay High School and earned two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s in economics from Boston University. She worked as a consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton before landing a high-ranking role at U.S. Africa Command in Germany between 2008 and 2011, according to her U.S. Department of Defense bio.

Jones held various U.S. intelligence-related roles before jumping to the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center and Office of Services and Investment, where she remained until 2017.

Her local name recognition soared after two campaigns she ran as a Democrat to represent Texas’ 23rd Congressional District. She lost narrow bids for that office in 2018 and 2020.

After the second of those races, President Joe Biden nominated her to serve as Air Force Under Secretary, a role she held from July 2021 until she resigned two years later.

If elected, Jones would be the first openly gay woman of color to become San Antonio mayor.

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This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 10, 2024.