Gilbert Garcia: Nirenberg, Castro endorsements could boost Gonzalez campaign

In the final two weeks leading up to early voting, the campaign of Ivalis Meza Gonzalez rolled out two important videos. They featured messages from Mayor Ron Nirenberg and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, endorsing Meza Gonzalez’s Democratic primary campaign to succeed Nelson Wolff as Bexar County judge. The Democratic race for county judge has the look of a toss-up. It features three formidable, well-funded candidates — state Rep. Ina Minjarez, former District Court Judge Peter Sakai and Gonzalez — who have no major policy disagreements. This is a contest that could be swung by small tactical details: the effectiveness of their field operations, how they utilize their campaign funds and the clarity of their messages. Endorsements convey credibility, but their vote-generating power is always questionable.

Having said that, the Nirenberg and Castro endorsements stand out. Castro is almost certainly the most popular Democrat in San Antonio, a five-term congressman who is the only member of the U.S. House with a district entirely contained within Bexar County; a national voice on issues ranging from immigration to media inclusivity. Nirenberg is not only a three-term mayor coming off a landslide election victory nine months ago, he is also Gonzalez’s former boss. Her case to the voters of Bexar County rests on her tenure as Nirenberg’s chief of staff. Unlike Minjarez or Sakai, she has never served as an elected official. Unlike Minjarez or Sakai, she doesn’t have an extensive legal career on her résumé. She hasn’t run a court or passed legislation. She has, however, served the mayor of the seventh-largest city in the country. That means her most important work was done behind the scenes. And no one has a better perspective on that work than Nirenberg. It’s telling that both Nirenberg and Castro, in their respective video testimonials for Gonzalez, describe her as the mayor’s “right hand” during the COVID-19 pandemic.