Gina Ortiz Jones
Gina Ortiz Jones, a Democrat and former Air Force official, claimed victory Saturday night in the mayoral race for San Antonio, Texas.
A veteran who previously served as Under Secretary of the Air Force in the Biden administration, Jones will be the city’s first Filipino American mayor. She was raised by her mother, an immigrant and retired teacher, and earned an ROTC scholarship that led her to Boston University, where she received degrees in East Asian studies and economics.
The race turned contentious when opponent Rolando Pablos questioned Jones’s identity, accusing her of using the name “Ortiz” to court Latino voters. In campaign ads, Pablos claimed Jones misrepresented her heritage, with one stating: “Gina, drop it. You’re not Latina.”
Jones’s campaign pushed back, saying “Ortiz” is her middle name and part of Filipino naming customs.
“It’s tradition for Filipino children to take their mother’s maiden name as their middle name,” Jones’s campaign said in a statement, stating that she has always gone by Gina Ortiz Jones.
