Gina Ortiz Jones Elected As San Antonio’s First Lesbian Mayor

Gina Ortiz Jones made history Saturday night, becoming the first openly lesbian mayor of San Antonio and the first woman of color and Filipina American to hold the office. Her win is a milestone not only for the city but for LGBTQ+ representation across the country.

“San Antonio showed up and showed out,” Jones told a cheering crowd after her victory. “We reminded them that our city is about compassion and it’s about leading with everybody in mind. … So I look forward to being a mayor for all.”

Jones defeated Rolando Pablos, a Republican-aligned former Texas secretary of state, in a runoff election with 54.3 percent of the vote. The race followed a crowded May primary where neither candidate secured a majority.

Though the mayor’s race is technically nonpartisan, it took on a distinctly political tone. Pablos campaigned on his relationships with conservative state leaders. Jones, backed by national Democratic groups like EMILY’s List and Fields of Change, leaned into her progressive platform and deep San Antonio roots.

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Jones grew up on the Far West Side, raised by a single mother who immigrated from the Philippines and worked as a teacher along the border to support her daughters. Her story of military service, public leadership, and hard-won resilience resonated with voters.

“I was raised by a single mom and I went on to serve our country,” Jones told Axios. “And I think that is very much a San Antonio story.”

After earning an ROTC scholarship, Jones served as an intelligence officer in Iraq under “don’t ask, don’t tell.” She later became undersecretary of the Air Force in the Biden administration, the first lesbian and first woman of color in that role.

In her mayoral campaign, she focused on tackling inequality. Nearly 20 percent of San Antonians have lived below the poverty line since the 1980s. Her platform calls for expanded early-childhood education, more affordable housing, and better work programs for unskilled labor.

“I want to make sure that we are a city that is serving everybody,” she said before the election.

Jones’s campaign was not without conflict. Pablos accused her of using the last name Ortiz to appeal to Latino voters. Her response was blunt: “That was racist.” She defended her identity proudly, noting that many Filipinos have Spanish names due to colonization.

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Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson hailed her win, saying, “Gina Ortiz Jones is that leader. That’s why HRC was proud to make calls and knock doors to help mobilize Equality Voters in San Antonio and put her over the finish line.”

Evan Low of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund added, “San Antonio voters made the right call by sending Gina to City Hall, not only making history but selecting a candidate who is driven to make lives better in her hometown.”

Her term begins June 18. Among her first challenges: addressing a looming city budget deficit and guiding public discussion around a proposed new Spurs arena downtown. “There’s no time to waste,” she said.

Jones joins a short but growing list of lesbian mayors of major U.S. cities, following Houston’s Annise Parker and Chicago’s Lori Lightfoot.