Pedro Ignacio “Pete” Saenz Jr. (born October 29, 1951) is an American attorney and politician who served as the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of Laredo,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, a position which he assumed on November 12, 2014. He was term-limited and left the position on December 28, 2022.

Family background

Pete Saenz was born to Pedro Ignacio Saenz and Maria del Refugio ( Martinez) Saenz. Pete Saenz has two living siblings. Another sister is deceased.

Education

Saenz was educated at the

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

St. Joseph's Academy in Laredo. He thereafter obtained

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

and

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

degrees in Animal Science and Range Management, respectively, from Texas A&M University–Kingsville, then known as Texas A&I University, located near Corpus Christi in Kingsville.

Community life

For twelve years, Saenz was a member of the Laredo Community College board of trustees. He also served a stint as the board president. During his tenure on the board, the South Campus was established, and most buildings on the main campus on West Washington Street were renovated. He is a former president of the South Texas Food Bank and the Laredo Affordable Housing Corporation.

2018 mayoral election

A third mayoral candidate was current city councilman Carlos Alberto "Charlie" San Miguel (born February 29, 1968). Saenz then handily won the runoff contest with 13,972 votes (64.5 percent) to Vela's 7,694 (35.5 percent).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saenz, Pete 1951 births 21st-century mayors of places in Texas Activists from Texas American conservationists American politicians of Mexican descent Catholics from Texas Hispanic and Latino American mayors in Texas Living people Mayors of Laredo, Texas Ranchers from Texas People from Laredo, Texas School board members in Texas St. Mary's University School of Law alumni Texas A&M University–Kingsville alumni Texas Democrats Texas lawyers