Sources state previous Mayor Ron Nirenberg has actually been informing fellow Democrats he’s thinking about a run for guv in 2026– a possibly arduous race versus the awesome Republican politician Gov. Greg Abbott.
In current months Nirenberg, 48, has actually consistently teased the concept he can compete one more workplace– in speeches at the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Business’s gala and various other public occasions.
Recently Nirenberg returned from a family members trip in Spain and promptly showed up together with Beto O’Rourke, state Rep. James Talarico (D-Round Rock) and United State Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio)– all deemed prospective statewide prospects in 2026– at an occasion at San Antonio’s Secure Hall.
Resources accustomed to the discussions state Nirenberg had actually been reviewing the opportunity of competing guv also prior to he would certainly left the mayor’s workplace– and returned from trip informing the various other Democrats he wanted the race.
” 2026 is a really essential political election,” he informed a jam-packed residence Friday night at Secure Hall. “This is greater than nearly Democrats and Republicans, this has to do with appropriate and incorrect.”
He took place: “[It’s about] developing a neighborhood that boosts and accepts autonomous worths, and freedom, or slides even more and even more behind, as we have actually seen in the last 150 days the Trump management, or truthfully, the last 35 years the Republicans managed the state of Texas.”
A complete Autonomous ticket?
Unlike current political election cycles, where Texas Democrats had simply one significant prospect elevating huge cash for a statewide race, this year a number of prominent prospects are speaking about running.
Guv, lieutenant guv, chief law officer, a united state Us senate seat, and nearly all of Texas’ various other statewide workplaces will certainly get on the tally in November 2026.
Allred, that ran unsuccessfully for united state Us senate in 2024, simply introduced one more Us senate quote today. Talarico has actually additionally been thinking about competing Us senate, as has Castro.
Extensively, Democrats intend to stay clear of untidy primaries in the statewide races, however the significant prospects are still in discussion with each other regarding that finest fits each setting.
O’Rourke intended the occasion at Secure Hall and welcomed Talarico and Castro, along with neighborhood Autonomous authorities. Upon invite, Nirenberg used to provide a welcome address, according to a resource accustomed to the discussion.
An additional occasion with O’Rourke, Castro and Talarico remains in the jobs, most likely to be kept in Austin later on this month. It has yet to be established whether Nirenberg will certainly additionally be an audio speaker.
An awesome incumbent
Abbott, for his component, has actually signified little problem regarding resistance to his quote for a 3rd term.
The guv began the year with virtually $70 million available and remained in San Antonio recently elevating cash at an occasion held by Bruce Bugg, chairman of the Texas Transport Compensation, according to a regional Republican politician authorities.
Asked regarding Texas Democrats’ handling for 2026, Abbott’s primary political advisor Dave Carney informed the Dallas Early morning Information last month that “it’s pointless what the Democrats do.”
Carney informed the paper: “We’ll inform citizens what we have actually done which we intend to remain to improve those successes.”
A lengthy wind-up for Nirenberg
When Nirenberg took workplace in 2017, he brought a clearly apolitical method to the detached mayor’s workplace.
However over 8 years in the duty– the optimum enabled under the city’s term restrictions– he’s honed his objection of GOP leaders and functioned to broaden his political network past San Antonio.
In a prime talking duty finally year’s Texas Tribune Celebration, Nirenberg stated Texas’ mayors were relocating the state ahead on concerns like real estate, facilities and labor force advancement– while state leaders proactively made their work harder.
” Things that are holding us back, the headwinds that we’re dealing with, are up in the funding,” he stated in the September meeting with previous Tribune author Evan Smith.
Nirenberg took place to recommend that Abbott’s press to produce a college coupon program and the supposed “Fatality Celebrity” expense were instances of Texas Republicans progressively overdoing their hands, interesting their base at the expenditure of the remainder of the state.
” If you stop working to purchase education and learning, if you neglect the obstacles of city neighborhoods … if you neglect the substantial bulk of this populace, which is currently in a metropolitan state, you’re mosting likely to remain to estrange on your own from Texas,” he stated. “That’s why I assume Texas is or quickly will certainly remain in play.”
At the very same time, Nirenberg has actually been developing connections with nationwide Autonomous leaders that in 2014 made him a nationwide surrogate for Vice Head of state Kamala Harris’ governmental project.
Nirenberg was thought about in the mix for a possible White Home visit if Harris had actually won.
Weeks after the November political election went the various other method, text in between Nirenberg and his personnel suggested various other political strategies remained in the jobs.
In a Dec. 13, 2024, sms message to the mayor, gotten by open documents demand and shown the San Antonio Record, Nirenberg’s principal of personnel and political advisor Zack Lyke stated they can invest the following 6 months meeting as numerous Autonomous guvs as feasible, and possibly make use of the guys’s Last 4 basketball event, held at the Alamodome, as a “assembling possibility.”
Lyke later on specified that those conferences really did not involve fulfillment.
But Nirenberg has actually additionally proceeded elevating cash, created a brand-new political action committee in the in 2014, and has actually been dealing with a possible publication.
In a goodbye address last month, Nirenberg used some mean a feasible future project pitch.
He talked passionately regarding leading a financially susceptible city with the Covid-19 pandemic and the financial investments the city has actually considering that made in inexpensive real estate, labor force advancement and public transportation.
Nirenberg additionally attended to several of the society battle concerns he stayed away from earlier in his occupation, however has actually taken an extra hostile method to in his last term.
” We remain to weather the state and nationwide politicization of illness, sex, freedom, and the basic flexibility of option,” Nirenberg stated. “We should have to live our lives exactly how we intend to live them– and till all have the ability to do so, the job has to proceed.”
