San Antonio, Texas: Former Mayor Ron Nirenberg Elected Bexar County Judge With 67 Percent

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Orbit Post) Former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg has been elected Bexar County judge, the top elected post in the county. The Democrat took 67 percent of the vote on Tuesday, and Republican Patrick Von Dohlen took 33 percent, the San Antonio Current reported on Wednesday.

At 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Nirenberg held more than 425,000 votes to Von Dohlen's 214,000, according to KSAT's election night count carried in its Texas election roundup. He declared victory on Tuesday night in a speech at Backyard on Broadway.

"I am honored to be your next Bexar County Judge," Nirenberg told supporters. He told KSAT at the Democratic watch party that he felt "the weight of the moment."

The road to the county job

Nirenberg left City Hall in 2025, forced out by term limits after eight years as San Antonio's mayor. He did not wait long to run again. This spring he beat sitting County Judge Peter Sakai in the Democratic primary, clearing his path to the general election.

Von Dohlen, a financial planner and conservative activist, had lost three previous bids for the District 9 seat on the San Antonio City Council before he ran for county judge this year.

What he says comes first

Nirenberg told KSAT that his first priority after he is sworn in this January will be public safety. He said he would look for resources for the courts and the district attorney's office, and work on problems at the county jail.

He also said he would work to cut services that the city and county both provide, as the county faces a budget crunch. That work starts with the Commissioners Court he will now lead, in a county where San Antonio city government and Bexar County government run side by side across the same streets.

The margin leaves little room for a recount fight. Nirenberg's 67 percent is a 34-point lead over Von Dohlen, and his vote total at 1 a.m. was close to double his rival's count. Results are unofficial until the county canvasses them, and both campaigns will work from the same county return when it does.

A familiar path in Bexar County

The move from San Antonio mayor to Bexar County judge has been made before. Retired County Judge Nelson Wolff held the county job for nearly 22 years after two terms as San Antonio mayor, the San Antonio Current noted.

Nirenberg will be sworn in this January. The courts, the district attorney's office and the jail he named on election night are the first tests his voters will be able to check.