Former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg served eight years before being term-limited out. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Air Force photo by Kara Carrier
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg has filed paperwork to run for Bexar County Judge, all but confirming the nature of a “big announcement” he plans to make this Saturday.
Speculation has swirled in recent weeks that Nirenberg will challenge first-term Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai in the Democratic primary. Now, paperwork filed this week showing the former mayor has selected a campaign treasurer shows the talk is more than wild speculation.
The document names Nirenberg’s treasurer as personal injury attorney Jorge Herrera, and it lists the office he’s seeking as “Bexar County Judge.”
Nirenberg served as San Antonio mayor from 2017 to 2025 and was prohibited from running again due to term limits.
Political observers began chattering as early as this summer that Nirenberg was weighing a run for governor or another state-level office. However, his ambitions — at least for now — appear to lie closer to home.
A recent survey by San Antonio-based Democratic strategist Christian Archer shows Nirenberg winning by a 52%-26% landslide in a theoretical primary matchup against Sakai, who’s approaching the end of his first term.
For the record, Sakai is none too happy about speculation that he would face a primary challenge. In a recent Facebook post, he called it “disappointing” that Nirenberg would stir up a fight among local Dems instead cooperating to “lift up our community.”
Social media posts show Nirenberg is moving ahead with plans to make his “big announcement” at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Backyard on Broadway, 2411 Broadway.
Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
Related Stories
Nirenberg reportedly will officially announce his candidacy after the Nov. 4 election.
A new poll shows Nirenberg crushing Sakai in a theoretical matchup.
The board ruled Monday that Nirenberg violated rules barring use of city property for campaign purposes.