San Antonio’s former mayor said his recent experience in City Hall, which he led for eight years, sets him up well to potentially service as the next county judge.
SAN ANTONIO — Former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg officially filed his paperwork Wednesday to appear on the Democratic primary ballot for Bexar County judge, setting up a March showdown with incumbent County Judge Peter Sakai.
Nirenberg, who served as mayor for eight years before leaving office in June, launched his campaign Saturday after months of speculation about his next move. Rumors had circulated about everything from a congressional bid to a potential run for Texas governor.
“There were a lot of rumors out there,” Nirenberg told KENS 5 in his first sit-down interview since launching his campaign.
Asked whether people were surprised he chose to run for county judge, he said, “I don’t know if they were surprised.”
The uncertainty over his future even prompted a public response from Sakai, who claimed on Facebook that Nirenberg “had his bags packed for D.C.“
“It’s clear Ron never found the greener pastures he dreamed of,” Sakai’s post read, in part. I, on the other hand, am not searching for something to do. We’re doing it.”
Nirenberg rejected that assertion, saying there was no truth to having his “bags packed” for the nation’s capital.
“No, there wasn’t,” he said.
KENS 5 also asked Nirenberg about any truth in a Texas gubernatorial run.
“There have been a lot of conversations,” he said. “In fact, some people (have been) asking me to do that, willing to help to do it. But again, my priorities are here at home.”
Nirenberg said he made the final decision to enter the county judge race only weeks ago.
“The truth of the matter is, I was asked if I was going to run against Peter Sakai early in the year, and I said I had no interest. That was the truth,” he said. “I had a job to do. I didn’t want to think about what I can do next when I am still the mayor of San Antonio.”
Nirenberg said, in making the decision, he looked at where he could better serve, adding the needs are local.
“If we want to get our politics in the state or the nation on track, we have to start in our own backyard,” he said. “Mother Teresa said if you want to change the world, start with your own front porch.”
A familiar role, he says
Nirenberg said the county judge position aligns closely with the skillset as mayor. The county judge serves as the presiding officer of the Commissioners Court and is often considered the county’s chief executive.
“What I am looking at doing is being a more collaborative leader for the county,” he said. “And making sure we stop being so reactive to issues, take some initiative and be proactive with the challenges we are facing.”
He added that many residents are unclear about what the county judge does, and said collaboration between the county and the cities within it has been lacking.
“I see a lot of fractioning and moving in different directions within the county itself, but also among the cities and the county,” he said.
Nirenberg said there are lot of issues he would like to address at the county level.
“Within the justice system, ending redundancy in different programs that waste taxpayer dollars, so we can begin to get more for the limited resources that we have,” he said.
He said he is not worried about the primary, touting his experience and his trust in voters.
“It is time that we stop settling for mediocrity and expect more from our county government, and that’s what I will be running on.”
The primary is set for March 3.