Ron Nirenberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ron Nirenberg
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Nirenberg in 2024
|
|
| Mayor of San Antonio | |
| In office June 21, 2017 – June 18, 2025 |
|
| Preceded by | Ivy Taylor |
| Succeeded by | Gina Ortiz Jones |
| Member of the San Antonio City Council from the 8th district |
|
| In office July 1, 2013 – June 21, 2017 |
|
| Preceded by | Reed Williams |
| Succeeded by | Manny Pelaez |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ronald Adrian Nirenberg
April 11, 1977 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Independent (before 2024) Democratic (2024–present) |
| Spouse |
Erika Prosper
(m. 2001) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Trinity University (BA) University of Pennsylvania (MA) |
| Signature |  |
Ronald Adrian Nirenberg (born April 11, 1977) is an American politician. He served as the Mayor of San Antonio, Texas, from 2017 to 2025. Before becoming mayor, Nirenberg was a member of the San Antonio City Council for District 8 for two terms.
In 2013, Nirenberg was first elected to the San Antonio City Council. He then became mayor in 2017, winning against the person who was mayor at the time, Ivy Taylor. He was sworn into office on June 21, 2017. He won re-election in 2019 by a small number of votes against Greg Brockhouse. In 2021, he won again with more than 61% of the votes. In 2023, Nirenberg won his fourth and final election as mayor.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ron Nirenberg has a diverse family background. His father's family came from Poland and Russia. His mother's family has roots in the Philippines, Malaysia, India, and Britain. His parents met when his father was working with the Peace Corps in Malaysia. Nirenberg grew up in Austin, Texas. He is a Methodist.
Nirenberg attended Trinity University (Texas) in San Antonio. He graduated with high honors, earning a degree in communication. He then went to the University of Pennsylvania and received a master's degree in communications. After college, he worked as a program director for a public policy center. He also managed KRTU-FM, a radio station at Trinity University.
Becoming Mayor: Election History
Winning a City Council Seat in 2013
In 2013, Ron Nirenberg ran for a seat on the San Antonio City Council for District 8. Many people thought he would not win because he had less money for his campaign than his opponent. However, Nirenberg ran a campaign mostly with volunteers, including college students. He won the election with nearly 55% of the votes.
Becoming Mayor in 2017
On December 10, 2016, Nirenberg announced he would run for mayor against the current mayor, Ivy Taylor. The first round of voting happened on May 6, 2017. No candidate received more than half of the votes. Nirenberg and Taylor received the most votes, so they went to a second election, called a runoff election, on June 10, 2017. Nirenberg won the runoff election, defeating Taylor. He was the first person in 20 years to defeat a mayor of San Antonio who was trying to be re-elected.
Mayoral Re-elections
Nirenberg ran for re-election in 2019. His main opponent was Greg Brockhouse, another member of the San Antonio City Council. They had a runoff election on June 8, where Nirenberg won his second term.
In 2021, Nirenberg ran for a third term. He again faced Greg Brockhouse. Nirenberg won this election with a clear majority of 61.89% of the votes.
In 2023, Nirenberg ran for his fourth and final term as mayor, due to term limits. He won re-election with over 61% of the votes.
Time as Mayor
.jpg)
Ron Nirenberg was known for his progressive ideas. Even though he first identified as an independent politician, he began to publicly identify as a Democrat in 2024.
In 2013, Nirenberg supported a city rule that prevents unfair treatment based on a person's gender identity or sexual orientation. As mayor-elect, he encouraged the city council to support the Paris Agreement, which is an international agreement about climate change. The San Antonio City Council agreed to support it and later created a plan to address climate change.
In 2019, Nirenberg supported removing a Chick-fil-A restaurant from the San Antonio International Airport's food options. This was because of the company's stance on certain social issues and its policy of closing on Sundays, which would affect airport income. This decision caused some debate. Later, a state law was passed in Texas that prevents local governments from taking action against businesses based on their religious beliefs.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nirenberg ordered the temporary closure of non-essential businesses in San Antonio in March 2020. In 2021, he disagreed with the Texas Governor's decision to lift COVID-19 rules and prevent local governments from making their own. San Antonio, led by Nirenberg, took legal action to keep local health rules in place, like mask mandates.
Nirenberg also helped start two programs to train people for jobs. The "Train for Jobs SA" program began in 2020. Its larger follow-up program, "Ready to Work," started in 2021. These programs aim to help people get new skills and find jobs.
When his fourth term ended in June 2025, Nirenberg became one of San Antonio's longest-serving mayors.
Personal Life
Ron Nirenberg married Erika Prosper in 2001. Erika works as a director for a large grocery company called H-E-B. They have one son together.
See also
- List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States
