After a grueling two years marked by a pandemic and a winter storm, state Rep. Ina Minjarez said she has become disillusioned with her impact at the Texas Capitol. “No matter what policies that I think matter — like fixing the grid or health care, things that really matter to this community — I can’t get them done up there,” she said. “We just don’t have the votes to get them done. And when [Republican] leadership decides what’s going to come to the floor, what bills are going to come to the floor, it’s their decision, not mine.” So when the San Antonio Democrat heard that Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff would not run for a sixth term, her ears perked up. “I want to come home and I feel this is an opportunity that I can take my skill set and be effective and actually get things done for Bexar County,” Minjarez told the San Antonio Report on Tuesday.

State Rep. Ina Minjarez on Monday announced her candidacy to replace Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who is not running in the coming election. Minjarez, whose Texas House District 124 includes parts of the West and far West sides, posted a message on Twitter, including a video, describing her motivation to run for county judge. On her campaign website, Minjarez cites several examples of active involvement in Bexar County, including advocating to allocate $7.5 million to the Morgan’s Wonderland Multi-Assistance Center project to provide services to children and adults with disabilities, and to secure $3.5 million for the University of Texas at San Antonio’s foster care pilot program to help children aging out of the foster care system attend college. She also sits on several local boards.