Editor's note: This article was updated on April 6 to include statements from the Bexar County Judge Republican Candidate Patrick Von Dohlen.
In the March 3 primary election, former four-term Mayor Ron Nirenberg secured the majority of votes in the Democratic primary election for Bexar County judge against incumbent Peter Sakai.
Nirenberg had 111,719 ballots cast in his favor, or 62.27% of the vote, while his opponent Sakai had 67,890 ballots cast in his favor, or 37.80% of the vote.
“This victory is a testament to our community, which overwhelmingly supported our bold vision for Bexar County,” Nirenberg said in a statement to Community Impact. “We still have an election to win in November, but I’m confident our campaign has the energy to deliver.”
Nirenberg will run against Republican Patrick Von Dohlen, who ran unopposed and received 64,167 votes. Von Dohlen is a financial adviser with over 28 years of experience serving families and businesses across Texas.
"I will bring the same fiduciary discipline to the public's balance sheet that I have brought to my clients' financial lives for nearly three decades," Von Dohlen said in a statement to Community Impact.
Zooming in
Nirenberg’s campaign plan for Bexar County rests on eight pillars, including safety, improving economic opportunities and introducing a strategic housing implementation plan, according to his campaign website.
Nirenberg’s plan includes:
- Giving proper resources to law enforcement and first responders
- Addressing the court and case backlog to ensure timely justice and reduce repeat offenders
- Fueling economic growth by supporting business expansion and job creation.
- Aligning county resources with employers and ensuring residents have access to quality and family-sustaining jobs
- Increasing the housing supply
- Ensuring county housing dollars are used efficiently to create real, measurable results
- Improving public transit and expanding regional connectivity
- Protecting natural resources, such as the county’s critical water resources and environmentally sensitive lands
- Supporting health care providers and community clinics serving vulnerable populations
- Bringing municipalities and unincorporated areas together to plan and deliver services regionally
Von Dohlen’s campaign plan for Bexar County touches upon building a business-friendly county, providing a military and family-centric approach to county governance and assisting all cities in Bexar County, according to Von Dohlen's campaign website.
"The residents of Bexar County need leadership they can trust with their money and their future and there’s a clear choice of who can and will do that based on facts," Von Dohlen said in the statement.
Von Dohlen’s plan includes:
- Protecting the Edwards Aquifer and private property rights
- Recruiting businesses that complement the military
- Building a business-friendly county regulator environment
- Making Joint Base San Antonio the core of Bexar County’s economic identity
- Exercising Emergency Services Coordination across all jurisdictions
- No taxpayer monuments to current officials
- Officially restoring Columbus Day
- Growing the stature and prominence of Bexar County
- Restoring monuments that have been removed since 2015
Stay tuned
Voters will be able to cast their ballot for either Nirenberg or Von Dohlen on Nov. 3.
