Statement from Patrick Von Dohlen
Republican nominee for Bexar County Judge
Based on the reported vote totals, the math does not allow for a path to my victory. I congratulate Ron Nirenberg on his win and thank every Bexar County voter who took part in the election. I have called and left him a voice message of congratulations and offered my help on any issue where we can find common ground for the good of Bexar County residents.
To the more than 163,000 residents who voted for fiscal accountability, transparency, and parental rights: your voices matter, and this campaign was never about only one election.
Bexar County, I offer a word of caution. After 28 years of one-party Democrat control, the county carries $3.7 billion in debt, including interest, or about $1,732 for every man, woman, and child, the largest county debt in Texas. Many of our roads and infrastructure are failing, and substantial taxpayer funds have been mismanaged. Taxpayers should demand that every dollar be accounted for, every budget be open to public scrutiny, and every official answer for results.
I expect the future Judge Nirenberg to use tax dollars to advance policies that work against life, liberty, marriage, family, and free markets. Without constant vigilance, residents should prepare to oppose tax-and-spend policies that undermine our Christian heritage, our culture, and the family. Our attention to the Commissioners Court agenda and the county budget cannot end tonight. We must be ever vigilant.
I will continue to lead on issues like the Emissions Tax, where local officials refuse to listen or work with us, and I will keep fighting for families, especially those who cannot fight for themselves. Results matter more than résumés. I will keep pressing for audits, spending restraint, aquifer and natural resource protection, parental and child rights, and private property rights.
I am grateful to my family, friends, volunteers, supporters, and my grassroots campaign team. Thank you to everyone who voted for our common-sense cause: a government of the people, by the people, and for the people that upholds life, liberty, and free markets for the good of our community.
Patrick Von Dohlen
Take Action: Protect Bexar County Drivers
Sign the petition for relief from the emissions testing mandate.
RADIO MESSAGES + KTSA INTERVIEW
Patrick On the Air
Hear Patrick’s Election Day radio messages in English and Spanish, plus his October 12 conversation with KTSA’s Jack Riccardi.
The Brief
UPDATED DAILY
News & campaign updates, every day.
NOW IS THE TIME TO
STAND UP
FOR BEXAR COUNTY
Howdy, Bexar County Residents! I’m Patrick Von Dohlen, the Republican candidate for Bexar County Judge in the 2026 election, and I believe Bexar County needs strong, steady, and principled leadership focused on solutions—not politics.
VOTER RESOURCES
Voter Guides & Prayer
Explore the voter guides and join in prayer for wisdom and guidance.
FAMILY VOTER GUIDE
Texas Family Action
View the Family Voter Guide and candidate recommendations from Texas Family Action.
CONSERVATIVE VOTER GUIDE
Alamo Scorecard
Explore Alamo Scorecard’s conservative voter guide for federal, state, and Bexar County races.
PRAYER RESOURCE
Novena to the Holy Spirit
Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance through EWTN’s nine-day Novena for the Seven Gifts.
Voter guides are provided by their respective publishers. Links open in a new tab.
CAMPAIGN MILESTONE · SEPTEMBER 28, 2026
Celebrate With Us: A Major Step Toward Emissions Testing Relief
EPA has announced it is reconsidering the decisions that triggered vehicle emissions testing in the San Antonio area. Patrick Von Dohlen organized a joint request from local and state leaders urging EPA to act before November 1.
This is an important step toward protecting Bexar County family budgets—and the work continues.
Reconsideration is not a final decision. Testing remains scheduled for November 1 unless EPA or the state takes further action.
9 Simple Ways to Help Patrick Today
Today, you can help show strong support for Patrick Von Dohlen for Bexar County Judge and for common-sense governance in Bexar County. Please consider taking a few simple actions today to stand in the gap and help build this campaign.
New fundraising goal: $17,900
Goal deadline:
- Amount raised toward this goal
- $6,500.00
- Fundraising goal
- $17,900
- Amount remaining
- $11,400.00
36.3% of goal raised$17,900 goal
This thermometer tracks donations toward the new $17,900 goal, starting October 19, 2026. The goal deadline is October 24, 2026.
Campaign-reported figures · Updated .
WHERE PATRICK STANDS
Real problems demand real accountability — not politics as usual.
Fiscal Responsibility
Bexar County's budget has exponentially outgrown residents' ability to pay. The problem is too much spending and virtually no saving. As Judge, I will protect and serve citizens first – that means making cuts to non-essential expenses, working to lower taxes anywhere we can and encouraging economic growth that makes sense for those who live here.
Jail Crisis & Public Safety
Eighty-five people have died in the Bexar County jail since 2020. Let that sink in. Eighty-five people. This facility has come and in out of compliance and costs $95M/year to operate. Bureaucratic red tape and management failures make this issue an emergency. As Judge, I will advocate for a full audit to ensure efficiency as well as an interim facility to better accommodate inmates with mental health challenges.
Property Tax Relief
Noticed your latest property tax assessment? Bexar County has a direct impact on your property bill because it has the discretion to adopt higher or lower tax rates according to property values. In 2025, county officials stated they expect a $28M shortfall come 2028. As Judge, I will work to stop the bleeding. Bexar County needs our intervention so the property tax issue does not grow even worse.
Water & Infrastructure
The Edwards Aquifer is our lifeline. We need to protect it while ensuring that private property rights are respected. This requires leadership that puts long-term stewardship over short-term development pressure.
Support Patrick by:
Visit & Share
Visit the campaign website and share it with friends, family, neighbors, and voters throughout BexarCounty.
Visit VotePatrick.net →Endorse Patrick
Add your name and help show public support for Patrick Von Dohlen for Bexar County Judge.
Endorse Patrick →Volunteer
Help the campaign in some way, shape, or form. Every volunteer makes a difference.
Volunteer Today →Request a VotePatrick Sign
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Request Your Sign →Join the Bexar 190 Campaign
The campaign’s new fundraising goal is $17,900 by October 24, 2026, at midnight Central Time. Please give a derivative of 190 in celebration of 190 years of Texas and Bexar County: $1.90, $19, $190, $1,900, $19,000, or $190,000.
Any amount helps, and every contribution shows real support for Patrick Von Dohlen for Bexar County Judge.
Donate NOW →Share With 12 Patriots
Send this message to 12 voting patriots you know in Bexar County or throughout Texas.
Post & Tag Patrick
Post a photo of you with Patrick on social media and tag the campaign.
@VotePatrick & @VoteVonDohlenPray Daily
Pray for the campaign’s effectiveness and success, for God’s glory and the good of His people.
Pray the Novena with Patrick →Invite Your Facebook Friends
Help our campaign without any cost to you other than 2 minutes of your time:
- From your personal Facebook account, search for “VotePatrick,” select the “VotePatrick” page, and visit it.
- While on the VotePatrick page, tap the three dots in the top right of the screen.
- Look for Sharing, then tap “Invite people to connect.”
- Choose “Invite friends to connect.”
- Select “All friends.”
- Tap “Yes” on the blue tab at the bottom of the screen to continue and invite friends to connect to the “VotePatrick” Facebook page.
That’s it! You’ll have helped our campaign by introducing your Facebook friends to us. Thank you!
Help Through Your Associations
If you are part of a club, church group, civic organization, professional association, or community network that may be willing to help, please reach out.
Call or Text Patrick:210.908.0033Happy USA250! TX190! Bexar190! Thank you for your support and for helping show that there is strong support for this campaign in Bexar County.
Patrick Von Dohlen
Candidate for Bexar County Judge
VotePatrick.net |
210.908.0033
Property taxes grew faster than incomes
City of San Antonio total debt
Bexar County total debt
WE MUST BUILD A BUDGET THAT MAKES SENSE
Results-Oriented Budgeting means every dollar is accounted for in order to maximize the efficiency of Bexar County.
Accountability
We must measure results against the promises made by our elected officials.
Protection
We must treat taxpayer dollars with the same care as we do our own life savings.
Transparency
We must document and track every decision and give full access to the people who employ us.
WHERE DID YOUR MONEY GO?
Over two decades of broken promises from Bexar County and City of San Antonio.
Peter Sakai Bexar County Leadership
$1,732 per resident
Ron Nirenberg City of San Antonio Leadership
$14,209 per resident
How We Got Here
Patrick's Introduction
Texas Public Policy Foundation: Just the Facts
San Antonio Under Mayor Ron Nirenberg
Independent Verification — City Governments, FY 2024
During Ron Nirenberg's tenure as mayor, San Antonio ranked highest in both total repayment and debt per resident among Texas' 10 largest cities in TPPF's FY 2024 comparison.
| City | Principal | Interest | Total Repayment | Population (2023) | Debt Per Capita |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | $14.28B | $6.58B | $20.86B | 2,314,157 | $9,015 |
| San Antonio | $13.29B | $7.96B | $21.25B | 1,495,295 | $14,209 |
| Dallas | $5.57B | $2.59B | $8.16B | 1,302,868 | $6,261 |
| Austin | $7.39B | $3.85B | $11.24B | 979,882 | $11,474 |
| Fort Worth | $2.81B | $1.18B | $3.99B | 978,468 | $4,081 |
| El Paso | $3.00B | $1.42B | $4.43B | 678,958 | $6,520 |
| Arlington | $1.94B | $830M | $2.77B | 398,431 | $6,959 |
| Corpus Christi | $1.66B | $842M | $2.50B | 316,595 | $7,896 |
| Plano | $808M | $328M | $1.14B | 290,190 | $3,915 |
| Lubbock | $1.34B | $482M | $1.82B | 266,878 | $6,825 |
#1 Total Repayment & Per Capita Debt
San Antonio: $21.25 billion in principal and interest — $14,209 per resident.
View TPPF City Comparison — Page 5 →Source: TPPF, April 2025, page 5. FY 2024 debt; 2023 population. Dollar amounts are rounded. These are outstanding obligations, not a single year's spending or debt incurred solely by one mayor.
The VotePatrick Campaign's Assessment
A Failed Experiment. Do We Want It in Bexar County?
We believe Ron Nirenberg's approach to fiscal leadership as mayor was a failed experiment. Do we want that approach to carry over into Bexar County?
Bexar County already faces the highest debt per resident among Texas' 10 largest counties. See the county comparison below.
Independent Verification — County Governments, FY 2024
| County | Principal | Interest | Total Repayment | Population | Debt Per Capita |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris | $5.04B | $3.01B | $8.04B | 5,009,302 | $1,606 |
| Dallas | $199M | $70M | $269M | 2,656,028 | $101 |
| Tarrant | $345M | $139M | $484M | 2,230,708 | $217 |
| Bexar | $2.55B | $1.14B | $3.68B | 2,127,737 | $1,732 |
| Travis | $1.10B | $375M | $1.47B | 1,363,767 | $1,081 |
| Collin | $842M | $326M | $1.17B | 1,254,658 | $931 |
| Denton | $689M | $239M | $928M | 1,045,120 | $888 |
| Fort Bend | $977M | $410M | $1.39B | 958,434 | $1,447 |
| Hidalgo | $379M | $169M | $548M | 914,820 | $599 |
| El Paso | $230M | $51M | $282M | 875,784 | $321 |
#1 Per Capita Debt
Bexar County has the highest per capita debt of Texas' 10 largest counties at $1,732 per resident — higher than Harris County ($1,606), which has more than double the population.
View Full TPPF Report →Wear Your Support
Design mockup shown.
“Come and Take It” T-Shirt
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