San Antonio Express-News recommends DeBerry, Minjarez best primary choices for Bexar County judge

When people in this town refer to “the judge,” they are speaking of Nelson Wolff. For two decades, Wolff has served as Bexar County judge with authority, transforming county government — and this seat — in dynamic and powerful ways. In the modern era of San Antonio, no politician has been more influential than Wolff, who also has served as a state lawmaker, City Council member and mayor. He took his experience and remade county government. Pick your issue: economic development (Toyota), conservation (the Mission Reach), transportation infrastructure, a relentless push for criminal justice reform, the local COVID-19 response. Wolff has led on each with a gravitational force, transforming San Antonio. With Wolff retiring, voters will determine the next chapter for Bexar County leadership.

In the Republican primary, we recommend public relations executive and former County Commissioner Trish DeBerry. She is certainly more than qualified to be county judge. In her year in office, DeBerry was a force on Commissioners Court. She is a fiscal conservative and social progressive. The Democratic side features four candidates — former mayoral adviser Ivalis Meza Gonzalez, state Rep. Ina Minjarez, former District Court Judge Peter Sakai and perennial candidate Gerardo “Gerard” Ponce. While each is a strong candidate, our recommendation goes to state Rep. Ina Minjarez, someone we have viewed as a rising star in Bexar County politics. Minjarez, who was elected in a 2015 special election to represent House District 124 on the West Side, served as a prosecutor in the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office. She understands the courts and is versed in the need for criminal justice reforms. She has been remarkably effective in the Legislature. At the end of the 85th session, Texas Monthly named her “Rookie of the Year.” She’s no rookie now, and Bexar County would benefit from her experience and key relationships.