BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – The previous San Antonio mayor is running for Bexar County judge against a man who says he’s running to block him.
Ron Nirenberg resoundingly beat sitting Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai in the Democratic primary. Now, he’s facing Patrick Von Dohlen, the only Republican to enter the race, in the Nov. 3 election.
Forced out by term limits in 2025 after eight years at the head of city government, Nirenberg said there’s “work needed here in Bexar County.”
“Obviously we live in a difficult environment with respect to the politics of the state and the federal level. Hopefully those things will change but there is no substitute for strong local leadership,” he said.
Von Dohlen, a financial advisor and conservative activist, ran unsuccessfully three times for the District 9 seat on the San Antonio City Council. But he says Nireberg was at the heart of his decision to run for county judge.
“Because of what he has done in the City of San Antonio, somebody had to stop him” Von Dohlen said. “I’m the right guy for the job.”
Pointing to growth of the city’s budget and debt under Nirenberg, Von Dohlen says higher utility rates and the current council’s passage of a tax increase are “a result of those policies.” He also claimed Nirenberg’s track record “led to negative results for everyone living in San Antonio.”
Responding through his campaign to some of Von Dohlen’s specific comments about his record, Nirenberg said the statements “are just not true.”
“The reason Patrick has been rejected by voters every time he’s appeared on a ballot is because he can’t tell the truth, and people see right through it. Nothing has changed,” Nirenberg said.
Bexar County is facing its own budget crunch. Though it didn’t raise taxes like the City of San Antonio, the county did dip into its reserves to pass its latest spending plan.
Von Dohlen said the primary objective is “getting back to basics.”
“We just have to make sure that we are paying core services, and doing it efficiently, and making sure we’re taking care of emergency services, the deputies, and fixing the jail crisis,” he said.
Nirenberg said wasted money on duplicate services between the county and cities, like animal care services and public health, need to be addressed.
In a similar vein, he thinks some issues should be handled “upstream,” suggesting a diversion center for the jail could cut into the costs of sending inmates to be housed in other counties because of space issues.
“So, you know, dealing with issues and providing the right services when they’re needed can help us avoid wasting the resources unnecessarily,” he said.
Both candidates are leaning on their own resumes for how they’d approach the job.
“It requires proactive leadership, articulating a vision and working together to build coalitions not just within the court — commissioners court — and within the county organization but across this community,” Nirenberg said. “That is the work I enjoyed and did for eight years as mayor, and that’s the work that’s required of the county judge.”
Von Dohlen, meanwhile, said he’d approach the job from a financial perspective.
“So as I mentioned to you before, 28 years as a fiduciary financial advisor and taking care of clients, putting their interests, their goals and objectives first based on what’s important to them,” he said. “And now my customers become Bexar County residents and taxpayers to make sure that those core services are delivered to them timely and efficiently.”
Early voting runs from Monday, Oct. 19 to Oct. 30.
Election day is Nov. 3.
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