Ron Nirenberg Officially Launches Bid for Bexar County Judge After Broadway Announcement
Former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg made his long-anticipated announcement on Saturday, formally launching his bid to challenge current County Judge Peter Sakai in the November 2026 election.
Joined by his wife, Erika Prosper Nirenberg, and supporters at the Backyard on Broadway as he officially launched his campaign to unseat Judge Peter Sakai.
The former mayor, who led the city from 2017 to 2025, had been teasing the possibility of a run for months. Today, Nirenberg then made his announcement official: “My name is Ron Nirenberg, and I am running for Bexar County judge.”
Nirenberg’s move came as Sakai had already declared his intention to seek a second term, setting the stage for a high-profile race between two well-known leaders with distinct styles and records.
He argued that the county and the cities within it were too often working at cross-purposes. Nirenberg cited duplicate affordable housing efforts “chasing the same dollars,” job training programs “tripping over each other,” and a justice system “bottlenecked by bureaucracy” as examples of inefficiencies caused by misalignment.
“We need leadership that aligns us and gets us rowing in the same direction,” he said, adding that such coordination “doesn’t happen on its own” and requires someone willing to use the full authority of the office.
Nirenberg pointed to several initiatives from his mayoral tenure, including the tuition-free community college program for local high school graduates, but said gaps remained. “We still have young people who can’t find good-paying jobs,” he told the crowd.
He also cited the city’s climate plan, which moves CPS Energy off coal 37 years ahead of schedule, but warned the region was “still not ready for the next extreme weather event.” And despite the passage of the region’s first affordable housing bond, he said “too many families are still living in poverty.”
“These are local problems,” Nirenberg said, adding that state leaders had ignored them and they “don’t get solved on the Senate floor.” He said he left City Hall “clear-eyed” about the challenges facing the region and confident in what solving them would require.
While Sakai’s tenure has focused on courthouse reform and countywide collaboration, Nirenberg’s years as mayor were marked by urban growth, climate initiatives, and steady leadership throughout the pandemic.
Sakai, a longtime judge who previously oversaw Bexar County Children’s Court, issued a pointed statement highlighting his accomplishments and criticizing Nirenberg’s shifting political ambitions.
“At one point Ron’s bags were packed for DC. At one point he was running for governor, then senator. Now, despite at one point telling the Express-News he wasn’t running for county judge, it’s clear Ron never found the greener pastures he dreamed of.”
Sakai contrasted that with his own focus on county priorities:
“I, on the other hand, am not searching for something to do. We’re doing it. We created partnerships with our schools to address mental health and affordable housing. We invested in the NextGen flood alert system to avoid ever repeating the tragedies of June 12th.”
He added that the county is working to bring high-paying jobs to Bexar County and strengthening public health partnerships during difficult economic times. His statement also accused Nirenberg of fracturing local Democrats.
Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez (D2), state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio), and longtime County Judge Nelson Wolff were present as speakers in support of Nirenberg.
According to Texas Public Radio, chair of UTSA’s Department of Political Science and Geography, Jon Taylor noted that the lack of pushback from local Democrats signaled trouble for Sakai. He said the party may be quietly shifting toward Nirenberg.
Taylor added that Nirenberg’s strong mayoral popularity made a local race the most logical next step, noting the former mayor still isn’t widely known enough statewide for higher office. He also pointed to the long history of San Antonio mayors becoming Bexar County judges — with Nelson Wolff being the most recent example.
