Advocacy group could tip runoff to Minjarez

The Texas Organizing Project has officially endorsed Ina Minjarez in the Democratic runoff for Bexar County judge.

The nonprofit advocacy group, which organizes in Black and Latino working-class communities across the state, announced on Friday that it will back Minjarez, a four-term state representative, in her May 24 race against former District Court Judge Peter Sakai.

“TOP works every day to build power for Latino and Black families and Ina Minjarez is the best candidate to bring the change we need in Bexar County, so that everyone in our community can thrive,” said Michelle Tremillo, TOP’s executive director.

“TOP endorsed her because she’s committed to creating a more equitable and transparent county government, increasing access to health care and affordable housing and also working with us to codify misdemeanor bail reform.”

Political endorsements often carry little weight with voters, but the backing of TOP falls into a special category, because it’s not merely a statement of support. It comes with a commitment from the organization to deploy its considerable on-theground political muscle.

TOP displayed that muscle in 2018 when it led a coalition on a petition drive to get a paid sick leave initiative on the San Antonio ballot. The coalition succeeded in securing 140,000 signatures.

Given the choice between putting it on the November ballot or passing a paid sick leave ordinance of its own, City Council reluctantly passed its own ordinance.

The city’s paid sick leave ordinance came under legal challenge from various business groups. In November 2019, a week before the ordinance was set to take effect, Sakai issued a temporary injunction to block its implementation.

TOP’s local impact was felt again in 2019.

That year, TOP stayed out of the first round of the mayoral election between incumbent Ron Nirenberg and then-Councilman Greg Brockhouse.

Brockhouse forced Nirenberg into a runoff and Nirenberg supporters feared the election was slipping away from the mayor.

A week before early voting began for the runoff, TOP endorsed Nirenberg and sent its forces out to knock on doors.

The mayor prevailed by a margin of 2.2 percentage points.

Minjarez said Friday that she believes TOP’s endorsement will have a “major impact” on the county judge runoff.

“I have great respect for the Texas Organizing Project,” Minjarez said. “I know that they don’t take their endorsements lightly.

“They are a voice for those Black and brown communities that have been disenfranchised for so long. This is one of the endorsements I’m most proud of, and I’m happy they’re getting involved in this race.”

In assessing the race for county judge, TOP sent questionnaires to the three major candidates in the first round of the Democratic primary: Minjarez, Sakai and former mayoral staffer Ivalis Meza Gonzalez.

The questionnaire probed for the candidates’ positions on the organization’s six main policy priorities: housing, health care, immigration, criminal justice reform, economic justice and education.

“We don’t just do politics,” Tremillo said. “Our politics is in the service of our larger, valuedriven policy platform.”

While TOP held off on making an endorsement in the first round, organization members ultimately concluded that Minjarez best aligned with the group’s positions.

“As we do for each candidate that we endorse at TOP, our members will be knocking on doors, phone banking and texting other TOP supporters and voters to show their support for Ina Minjarez,” Tremillo said.

Sakai finished first in the March 1 primary, with nearly 41 percent of the vote. Minjarez received nearly 31 percent.

Given Bexar County’s blueish political tint — and the fact that a Democrat, Nelson Wolff, has held the county judge post for the past 21 years — the winner of the Sakai/Minjarez runoff will be a favorite in the general election against Republican nominee Trish DeBerry.

During her tenure in the Legislature, Minjarez established herself as someone skilled at working across the political aisle, particularly on the issues of foster care and cyber bullying.

She grew frustrated last year, however, as GOP lawmakers pushed a culture-war agenda that included a restrictive new voting law seemingly inspired by former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election had been stolen from him.

After Wolff announced last October that he wouldn’t be seeking another term, Minjarez decided to leave the Legislature and declare her candidacy for county judge.

If she wins, she’ll be following in the footsteps of Wolff, who served four years in the Legislature before his stint as county judge.

Minjarez