In winning on Tuesday night, Nirenberg becomes the de facto frontrunner to win the position in November against Republican Patrick Von Dohlen.
SAN ANTONIO — What Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai may have once thought would be a smooth transition into his second term became a closely watched race after Ron Nirenberg announced he would challenge the incumbent just months after leaving San Antonio’s mayoral seat.
On Tuesday night, it turned into a defeat for the incumbent.
The early ballots boosted Nirenberg to a 24-point early advantage on Tuesday night, and he maintained that lead as votes continued to be counted. Nirenberg led with 62.1% of the vote to Sakai’s 37.9%, according to the county’s unofficial results.
Nirenberg is set to face longtime financial advisor and lone Republican candidate Patrick Von Dohlen in November, becoming the de facto frontrunner to win the seat.
“Let’s use our energy that we have here tonight and carry us through the work ahead,” Nirenberg said at his watch party around 8:25 p.m., after the early votes were posted. “Our future isn’t inevitable, it’s something we have to build towards together.”
Sakai has been in office since 2023, when he won office for the first time, and has emphasized a back-to-basics government approach in his bid to win voters’ support once again. He has touted “strong, steady effective leadership” and said he views his role as a form of servant leadership.
Nirenberg entered the race in November after months of speculation about his political future after serving as San Antonio mayor for eight years. He has argued the county needs more proactive leadership and on Tuesday night said he would work to seize the opportunities presented to Bexar County if elected.
“We’re offering a reason to hope again,” Nirenberg said to supporters. “Thousands of our neighbors have given in to the status quo because they don’t think anyone’s coming to help… they’ve stopped voting, they’ve stopped hoping. Our job is to convince them otherwise.”
Nirenberg won the endorsement of Nelson Wolff, who served as Bexar County judge for two decades. On Tuesday night, the Democratic frontrunner likened his aspirations to what Wolff was able to accomplish.
“Leaders like Judge Wolff were able to make significant transformations within our community because they’re willing to look creatively at the opportunities,” he said. “We can’t hide behind statute. I’m going to look for opportunities to be a leader for this county.”
Nirenberg outraised Sakai by more than double in the most recent campaign finance period, reporting nearly $167,000 in contributions from Jan. 23 to Feb. 21 compared to about $76,000 from Jan. 31 to Feb. 21 for Sakai, according to campaign filings. But Sakai’s campaign reported having about $25,000 more on hand after the start of early voting.
For more coverage and results of the 2026 Texas Primaries, visit kens5.com/elections.