Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai and Democratic primary challenger Ron Nirenberg will face off in a debate Feb. 10 at Stable Hall, hosted by the San Antonio Report, the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and Tech Bloc.
Sakai and Nirenberg are competing for the Democratic nomination in a March 3 primary race. Early voting for the primary starts Feb. 17.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and tickets are free for those who register in advance online. Debate sponsorships are available, as well as VIP tickets.
The winner will face Republican Patrick Von Dohlen, the lone GOP candidate to file this year, in November. Read about all of the Bexar County candidates running in the March 3 primary here.
Sakai, a longtime state district court judge, won a three-way Democratic primary to succeed retiring Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff in 2022.
He spent his first term trying to refocus county resources around its core responsibilities, such as managing the courts, jail and elections, instead of the development major projects his predecessor was known for.
Last year Sakai also navigated the Spurs’ plans to move out of their county-owned facility on the East Side, crafting a deal to rehabilitate the old arena district and help fund the team’s downtown move, which voters approved in November.
Nirenberg served as San Antonio’s mayor from 2017 to 2025, leading the city through the Covid-19 pandemic and its first ever affordable housing bond.
He’s campaigned openly for Democratic candidates in the past, but his challenge to Sakai is his first partisan race.
To submit a question for consideration, text the San Antonio Report at (210) 796-6853.
