Latest news with #GinaOrtizJones
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New San Antonio Mayor tells Trump to uphold oath to Constitution amid Texas troop deployment
San Antonio Mayor-elect Gina Ortiz Jones joins The Weekend to discuss Texas Governor Greg Abbott's decision to deploy Texas National Guard troops amid protests. She also talks about her priorities as Mayor of the country's seventh-largest city.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
San Antonio elects its 1st Asian American woman, openly gay mayor
[Source] Gina Ortiz Jones defeated Rolando Pablos to become the mayor of San Antonio, Texas, making history as the city's first Asian American woman, first Filipino woman and first openly gay mayor. By the numbers: Jones won 54% of the vote in the runoff election, receiving 77,484 votes to Pablos' 65,202. Aside from the aforementioned milestones, she is now the first Asian American woman to helm a major Texas city and the first woman mayor in Texas to have served in war. About Jones: Jones, a 44-year-old West Side native, was born to a Filipino mother who immigrated from the Philippine province of Pangasinan and raised her and her sister alone. Jones left San Antonio in 1999 after receiving an Air Force ROTC scholarship to attend Boston University. She served as an intelligence officer in Iraq and later managed a $173 billion budget and 600,000 personnel as undersecretary of the Air Force in the Biden administration. She lost congressional races in Texas' 23rd Congressional District in 2018 and 2020 before winning this mayoral contest. What she's saying: In her victory speech Saturday night, Jones thanked her supporters and reminded the crowd that San Antonio 'is about compassion' and 'leading with everybody in mind.' She also stressed that her victory is 'a testament to the vision we put forward — a vision of getting things done while treating people with dignity, respect and compassion.' She also said she looks forward to being 'a mayor for all.' Trending on NextShark: Jones faces immediate challenges including projected multi-million dollar budget deficits when she takes office. This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Trending on NextShark: Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. Subscribe here now! Trending on NextShark: Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gina Ortiz Jones, lesbian and military vet, elected mayor of San Antonio
Gina Ortiz Jones, a lesbian and military veteran who served in President Joe Biden's administration, has been elected mayor of San Antonio, the second-largest city in Texas and seventh-largest in the U.S. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. Jones beat Rolando Pablos, a former Texas secretary of state, in a runoff election Saturday. The margin was 54.3 percent to 45.7 percent, according to Ballotpedia. They advanced to the runoff because no candidate out of 27 in the May 3 general election received a majority of the vote. In the general election, Jones led with 27.2 percent and Pablos came in second with 16.6 percent. The current mayor, Ron Nirenberg, could not run again due to term limits. Races for mayor and other city positions in San Antonio are officially nonpartisan, but this election was partisan in practice. Jones emphasized her affiliation with the Democratic Party, while Pablos, who was elected secretary of state as a Republican, highlighted his ties to leading Republicans such as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. RELATED: Jones was undersecretary of the Air Force during the Biden administration; she was the first lesbian, second member of the LGBTQ+ community, and first woman of color (she's Filipina American) to serve in the post. She twice ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House as a Democrat. She was an intelligence officer in the Air Force and was deployed to Iraq during the war there, serving under 'don't ask, don't tell.' After leaving the Air Force, she worked for the federal government as an adviser on intelligence and trade, with agencies including the Defense Intelligence Agency and Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. She left government service six months into Donald Trump's first term. In the mayoral race, 'she campaigned on her plans to expand early-childhood education to more children and increase affordable housing and work programs for unskilled workers,' The New York Times reports. 'San Antonio showed up and showed out,' she told supporters Saturday night after the results came in. '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.' RELATED: Lesbian Gina Ortiz Jones Wants to Be Texas's First Out Congress Member Two other cities among the largest 10 in the nation have had LGBTQ+, specifically lesbian, mayors. Annise Parker was mayor of Texas's largest city, Houston, from 2010 to 2016. Until recently, she was president and CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. Houston is the fourth-largest city in the U.S. Another lesbian, Lori Lightfoot, was mayor of Chicago, the third-largest, from 2019 to 2023. Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson hailed Jones's victory, releasing this statement: 'Every one of us deserves leaders who value equality and will fight to ensure that we can live freely without fear of discrimination. 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. Her win isn't just exciting, it's historic; as the first ever openly LGBTQ+ mayor of San Antonio during a time of ceaseless attacks on our community, Gina is emblematic of the resilience, strength, and joy that our community has already used to thrive in challenging times. We can't wait to see her get to work tackling the problems that are impacting our neighbors, families and coworkers and standing up for the rights and safety of every San Antonian.' Evan Low, president and CEO of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, which endorsed Jones, issued this statement: 'Gina Ortiz-Jones is LGBTQ+ Victory Fund family, and we are proud to see her rise to lead America's seventh-largest city as mayor. As a veteran, her service reflects the estimated 1 million LGBTQ+ veterans who have contributed to our nation with honor, distinction, and an unyielding warrior spirit. 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.' Jones will be sworn in June 18 for a four-year term.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Monday's Campaign Round-up, 6.9.25: Democrats prevail in San Antonio mayoral race
Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country. * Republicans made a significant effort to win San Antonio's mayoral election, but in Texas' second-largest city, Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones, an Iraq war veteran who served as the under secretary of the U.S. Air Force, prevailed with roughly 54% of the vote. * On a related note, in Mississippi's largest city, former Democratic state Sen. John Horhn easily won Jackson's mayoral race last week, finishing with roughly 67% of the vote. * How difficult have things become inside the Democratic National Committee's leadership team? According to a new Politico report, DNC Chair Ken Martin told party leaders in a recent private conversation that he's unsure about his ability to lead the party because of infighting created by Vice Chair David Hogg. 'I'll be very honest with you, for the first time in my 100 days on this job ... the other night I said to myself for the first time, I don't know if I wanna do this anymore,' he said in a May 15 online meeting of DNC officials. * With New Jersey's gubernatorial primaries just one day away, Donald Trump reiterated his endorsement of former state lawmaker Jack Ciattarelli, adding, in reference to the other Republican candidates, 'I don't even know who they are!' * Prominent players in the cryptocurrency industry were heavily involved in boosting some GOP Senate candidates in the 2024 election cycle, and Punchbowl News reported that crypto advocates are already starting to make significant investments into former Rep. Mike Rogers' Republican candidacy in Michigan. * Unrig Our Economy and Families Over Billionaires are launching a $5 million ad campaign, urging Republican senators to oppose their party's domestic policy megabill. The initial round of ads began airing late last week in North Carolina, Maine and Iowa, with plans to expand to Alaska, South Carolina, Missouri and Ohio. * In related news, House Speaker Mike Johnson told CNBC late last week that he believes Republicans will lose their majority unless they approve their far-right reconciliation package. What he didn't mention was the likelihood that if the party does approve the legislation, Democrats will spend the next year using it against them. This article was originally published on
Axios
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
San Antonio City Council election results show changing politics
San Antonio City Council District 1 incumbent Sukh Kaur held on to her seat in Saturday's runoff election, in which three new city councilmembers were also elected in a political shakeup. Why it matters: A new generation of councilmembers can help shape a range of transformative city plans as they work with new mayor Gina Ortiz Jones over the next four years — but they'll also have to contend with a possible budget deficit and cuts to services. By the numbers: Kaur beat out conservative neighborhood leader Patty Gibbons 65% to 35% in the downtown area district, which now also includes some neighborhoods north of Loop 410. The big picture: The San Antonio City Council could have a starker political divide. It'sgaining one more progressive and one more conservative member, who are taking over seats previously held by business-friendly and moderate Democrats. Ortiz Jones is expected to lead as a progressive. The latest: In District 6 on the Far West Side, Ric Galvan (50.1%) beat Kelly Ann Gonzalez (49.9%) by just 25 votes. Both have progressive backgrounds running in a district that has previously elected Republicans and business-friendly Democrats. In District 8 on the Northwest Side, Ivalis Meza Gonzalez (57%) beat Paula McGee (43%). Meza Gonzalez is the former chief of staff to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, while McGee had experience on city boards and support from the Republican Party of Bexar County. In District 9 on the North Side, Misty Spears (57%) beat Angi Taylor Aramburu (43%), putting this more conservative district back in Republican hands for the first time in eight years. Spears has been the director of constituent services for Republican Bexar County Commissioner Grant Moody. Flashback: The four districts headed to the June runoff after no one earned more than 50% of the vote in the May 3 election. District 4 on the Southwest Side is newly represented by Edward Mungia, a former staff member in the office. He won outright in the May election.
