By Cesar Antonio Nucum Jr.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A former US military officer and daughter of an immigrant from Pangasinan has made history by becoming the first Filipino-American and woman of color elected mayor of San Antonio, Texas, the seventh biggest city in the United States. 

Gina Ortiz Jones, 44, defeated her conservative rival, former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos, with 54.3% of the vote in Saturday’s runoff election, making her the first openly gay mayor and only the third woman to lead the Texas metropolis of 1.5 million residents.

Jones, who had served the US military in Iraq and was undersecretary of the Air Force during the administration of President Joe Biden, will take office on June 18 for a four-year term. 

The newly elected mayor of San Antonio  did not forget her roots when she delivered her declaration of victory speech before her scores of supporters.

Jones reserved the best for last when she talked about her mom whom she thanked profusely as she always is proud of being a firs-generation Filipina American who was inspired by the woman she respects, admires and hold in high esteem a role-model and idol Victorina Ortiz who hails from Pangasinan.  

“I always think about the courage that my mom to come to this very special country. My mom graduated from the number one university in the Philippines (UP) but she came here as a domestic helper. And I always think about I don’t know if I would have had that amount of courage as a young person. She was so inspired what our country has to offer,” she said.

Victorina, a former science teacher in the Philippines, humbled herself, went to the U.S. first as a domestic helper and had two daughters Gina and younger Christy who still serves in the U.S. Navy that she raised by herself by taking more than a job at a time.

In a recent letter she wrote, Ortiz-Jones reiterated, “I carry with me my mom’s sacrifice and example. My mother is still my rock, and my role model. I emulate the characteristics that define her — her love for family and for country, her unwavering work ethic and unshakeable faith, and her commitment to expanding opportunity for others.”

Ortiz-Jones said she regrets that the immigration policies that current administration are enforcing today run counter to everything her mother taught her.

“Separating children from their parents or indefinitely detaining them is a brutal, inhumane practice, and I’m committed to fighting it. The America my mother taught me, the nation I fought for, is made exceptional by its empathy,” she continued.

“That’s why it brings me such pain to watch this administration enact a policy that rips kids out of the arms of their mothers and fathers and places them in tents and cages. To indefinitely detain families would hardly be better. I weep for these children. I ache for their parents.”

Ortiz-Jones said she feels that many of the issues affecting Filipino American community like health care and immigration policies are issues that face every American.“We need people who are advocating the policies that strengthen all of our community and I look forward to doing that,” said Ortiz-Jones.

“Reduced lunch, subsidized housing are critical investments, including on immigrants, not handouts that allowed me to earn a four-year Air Force ROTC scholarship, a college education and earn several degrees at Boston University.”

Ortiz-Jones said she is also grateful for God’s goodness and grace and is confident that He would never give her more she can take. She is also thankful to all of the organizations that have been so instrumental in making her victory happen.

“It was a coalition that has been so instrumental in making this happen. It was a coalition of people.”

“As we think about what’s going on in this moment in time, there’s a lot going on at this moment at the federal level and state level. But here in San Antonio we are reminded what San Antonio stands for a city about compassion and leading with everybody in mind. And when one side offer racism, we offer compassion and focus on getting things done,” she added.”

In looking forward, I think about my fellow veterans who understand the moment in time that we are in, who understand the unfortunate attacks on our constitution and the importance for us to do our part to remind everybody not only in our country but in the world what American values are and what they worth are in action,” she said.“

In San Antonio, your mayor will be focused on serving everybody because in this city everybody is treated with dignity and respect. Leadership matter as they create, protect or await opportunities. San Antonio is going to move past the current challenges, remind everybody what are possible and focus on what are the main thing and that is leading by example,” she said.

Staunch supporter Rodel Rodis, who hosted the gathering for Ortiz-Jones once in the San Francisco Bay Area, regarded Ortiz-Jones to be the voice “to address the many issues affecting our community.”

Award-winning writer, State Executive Director of the Philippine-American Chamber of commerce of Texas and active FilAm community and business leader Gus Mercado regarded Ortiz-Jones “very active with, and supportive of the community initiatives of Filipino and Asian communities throughout the state over the years.”

Ortiz-Jones ran for and won as mayor of San Antonio Texas in the June 7 runoff defeating Rolando Pablos. She will become the first Asian-American and a Filipina at mayor of a major city in Texas, the first LGBTQ+ mayor of San Antonio, and the first female mayor in Texas to have served in war.

She is also the first mayor since 2005 to have never previously served on San Antonio’s city council but served as served as undersecretary of the air Force under the Biden administration from 2021 to 2023.