Here's why so many people from San Antonio were featured at the Democratic Convention

From the mayor and the county's top cop to a Desperate Housewives actress and a conjunto legend, San Antonio repped big at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

On Monday, Mayor Ron Nirenberg made headlines by calling Donald Trump a "clown" during a speech to Texas Democrats at the event. The same day, San Antonio musical group Los Texmaniacs, led by Conjunto Hall of Fame member Max Baca, performed for attendees.

During a high-profile Wednesday night speech, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar talked about how congressional inaction on immigration reform has contributed to human trafficking. Then, during Thursday's finale, San Antonio-tied actress Eva Longoria was among the speakers touting Vice President Kamala Harris' qualifications to serve as commander-in-chief.

While the roster of Alamo City guests at this year's DNC is impressive, Trinity University political scientist Juan Sepulveda said it shouldn't be surprising given longstanding ties between local politicos and the Democratic Party.

"I think we're lucky to have those longstanding relationships, and people inside the Democratic Party are smart enough to see our area's demographics and the numbers that show our rapid growth," said Sepulveda, who worked on both of Barack Obama's presidential campaigns.

To illustrate just how longstanding those relationships are, then-San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros in 1984 was picked to give the high-visibility "Platform Presentation" speech at that year's DNC. In 2012, during his time as mayor, Julián Castro delivered a DNC keynote speech that made him a national rising star.

Both men went on to serve as White House housing secretaries under Democratic presidents — Cisneros under Bill Clinton and Castro under Obama.

Speculation has also swirled around Nirenberg, who's now serving his last term as mayor, with talk that he might be under consideration for a position in a potential Harris administration, Sepulveda noted.

"We've had decades of Latino leadership in San Antonio, and the Democratic Party recognizes the importance of that," the professor said.

While other metros boast large blocks of Latinx voters, Sepulveda said few have produced as deep a bench of Democratic political leaders as San Antonio. The party's interest in the Alamo City has only deepened as the city grows and as demographic trends nudge Texas closer to purple-state status, he added.

"I think this is going to be the norm going forward," Sepulveda said. "That's a good thing for us."

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed