LPAC Endorses Former Under Secretary of the Air Force and Iraq War Veteran Gina Ortiz Jones for San Antonio Mayor
Washington, D.C. –Today, LPAC, the nation’s only organization dedicated to advancing the political representation of LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary candidates, announced our endorsement of former Under Secretary of the Air Force and Iraq War veteran Gina Ortiz Jones for Mayor of San Antonio, Texas, the seventh largest city in the country.
“Gina Ortiz Jones is a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community and has consistently used her leadership positions to advocate for fairness and equality for all. LPAC is proud to have stood by Gina throughout her career, and to endorse her now in her run for San Antonio Mayor,” said Janelle Perez, Executive Director of LPAC. “Especially in states like Texas where LGBTQ+ rights are increasingly under attack, we need champions like Gina who will lead us forward and deliver results with passion and purpose.”
“As LGBTQ+ servicemembers are receiving honorable discharges after the harrowing era of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and systemic homophobia and transphobia forced them out of the career they loved, we look to Gina as a beacon of hope,” said Charlotte Clymer, LPAC Board Member. “Her leadership of the Department of the Air Force marked a pivotal step forward for LGBTQ+ representation at the highest levels of the Pentagon, and her efforts to remove barriers for all service members only strengthened the department. As a veteran and proud Texan, I salute Gina for her leadership and service and look forward to her election as San Antonio Mayor.”
"I'm thankful for LPAC's early support,” said Gina Ortiz Jones. “In the face of efforts to unsee our community, I look forward to serving everyone in San Antonio with the respect and dignity we all deserve."
About Gina
Gina Ortiz Jones, a first-generation American raised by a single mother in San Antonio, was taught early on about the importance of service by her family. She graduated from John Jay High School, and earned an Air Force ROTC scholarship that took her to Boston University. Jones served as an intelligence officer in the Air Force and deployed to Iraq. Upon separating from the Air Force, she advised on military operations in Latin America and joined the Defense Intelligence Agency as an inaugural member of U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany.
Gina went on to serve in the Executive Office of the President leading portfolios at the intersection of economic and national security. In 2021, President Biden nominated Jones and the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed her to serve as the 27th Under Secretary of the Air Force, the first woman of color and first out lesbian to serve as the under secretary of any military department. For her service, she earned the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the department’s highest civilian award. Upon completing her appointment, Jones returned home to San Antonio in 2023.
She serves on the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Board of Directors, the The Asian American Foundation Advisory Council and is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Jones has advanced degrees from Boston University, the University of Kansas, and the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies.