Gina Ortiz Jones is an Air Force veteran who served as Under Secretary of the Air Force under the Biden Administration. She ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Democrat in Texas 23rd Congressional District in 2018 and 2020.
Hear from the candidate
Please tell voters about yourself.
I am a proud first-generation American, a veteran, and a proven leader. As an Air Force and Iraq War veteran, to most recently serving as the Under Secretary of the Air Force overseeing a $173 billion budget and leading 600K people, I’ve spent my life solving tough problems and delivering results.
My mom, who taught at Harlandale HS for 25 years, raised my sister and me by herself. An Air Force ROTC scholarship took me from John Jay HS to Boston University. I have two undergraduate degrees and three advanced degrees, including an MA in Economics and a MMAS from the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies.
I serve on the Board of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and on the Advisory Council for The Asian American Foundation. I have put my name twice on a ballot hoping to continue serving our community and country.
In a field of 27 mayoral candidates, what differentiates you from the others?
I bring a lifetime of service, leadership, and a results-driven approach that no other candidate in this race can match. As the Under Secretary of the Air Force, the second highest civilian leading the Air and Space Forces, I ensured resources were used efficiently, and policies worked for the people they served. That experience also prepared me to keep San Antonio Military City USA.
Growing up on San Antonio’s far Westside, I understand the challenges many families face, because I lived them. My experience navigating complex government
systems—whether in the military, economic policy, or public service—means I know how to deliver solutions for our city.
I have a proven record of fighting for working families, expanding opportunities, and removing bureaucratic barriers. San Antonio is at a turning point, and I am ready to bring bold leadership, accountability, and a clear vision to ensure every resident has the opportunity to thrive.
If elected, you would be taking over at a time when the city has spent more than a year negotiating a massive downtown redevelopment effort in Project Marvel. How would you approach this project?
The public deserves full transparency on major city projects to truly understand their long-term costs and benefits. Too often, taxpayers are the last to know but the first to pay, and that needs to change. Major publicly financed investments like the Alamodome and Frost Bank Center were sold to the public with big promises—an NFL team, revitalization of the East Side, and a 20% share of Spurs’ profits (according to the former county judge)—yet none of this materialized.
Before committing public funds, we must have clear financial projections and enforceable agreements. We need to ensure the contributions to the General Fund will cover the additional public safety costs for our first responders, as well as understand how labor and small businesses will be considered as part of this generational development. If we’re investing taxpayer money, the public must see tangible returns—in job creation, economic development, and community benefits.
As mayor, I’ll ensure that city projects are transparent, fiscally responsible, and truly serve our city and not just a few.
In the city’s 2024-2025 budget survey, residents ranked homelessness, streets,
housing and animal care services among their top concerns for the city to address. Which issues do you consider a top concern and how would you work to address them in your first 100 days?
Regarding homelessness, I recently met with Opportunity Home (OH) to understand how city resources could better support the organization’s goal of recipients being self-sustaining within 5 years to free up resources for our unhoused. The data does not yet exist to the granularity I requested (i.e., is it help with GED attainment, childcare, public transportation), but I look forward to working with OH in the first 100 days to understand what is in the realm of possible to ensure our approach is data-driven and effective. Addressing our challenges with the unhoused will also require stronger coordination with Bexar County Behavioral Health and incentivizing affordable housing development.
From long-delayed road projects to inadequate drainage, we need a more transparent approach to assessing needs, investment decisions, and getting projects to timely completion. In the first 100 days, I will prioritize an update from city staff on road projects that are 6 months over schedule and hearing options on how to move them forward.
Finally, in the first 100 days, I will prioritize reviewing the data on the state of ACS to determine if the issues require more resources and/or a different resource allocation (i.e., longer hours for enforcement).
For the past four years San Antonio has worked closely with the Biden Administration on federally funded projects like airport development and Advanced Rapid Transit. How would you approach working with both state leaders in Austin and a new presidential administration in D.C.?
To foster collaboration with state leaders in Austin and the administration, I will prioritize proactive engagement and transparent communication. Building strong relationships
with state officials is essential to align our city’s priorities with state initiatives, ensuring that San Antonio benefits from available resources and policy support. At the federal level, I will actively seek opportunities to secure funding and partnerships that advance our infrastructure, public safety, and economic development goals.
By maintaining open lines of communication and demonstrating San Antonio’s commitment to strategic projects, we can continue to build upon our successes and effectively address the needs of our community.
Read more about Gina Ortiz Jones
‘We couldn’t be at more polar ends’: Jones vs. Pablos race divides San Antonio into political camps
San Antonio’s mayor race is now between Jones and Pablos
Inside the expensive, ‘confusing,’ 27-candidate race to be San Antonio’s next mayor
Big spending in San Antonio mayor race kicks off self-funding surge
Gina Ortiz Jones leaps to the front in new UTSA poll
Former Air Force Under Secretary Gina Ortiz Jones launches mayoral campaign
