'We've truly lost a giant in Hays County': Sandra Tenorio dies at 64

When Sandra Tenorio had something to say, everyone in the room wanted to hear what she was thinking.

Spending her life working across all levels of government in Central Texas, Tenorio had a knack for spotting fresh political talent, an eye for helping find solutions to local and statewide issues and a dogged persistence to follow through.

For the friends she made over decades in public service, they saw her as a titan. A vivacious foodie who loved to travel with her closest friends. Someone who always operated fairly and ethically but had the chops and knowledge to go toe to toe with anyone in the political arena.

She died Monday at the age of 64.

Growing up in Kyle

Tenorio was raised in her father and uncle's grocery store in Kyle and became a recognizable face in a family that was a pillar of the Hays County community.

Her initial foray into politics came in Kyle, too. She was elected to the City Council, and then in 1986, at age 28, she became the city's first Hispanic mayor, also becoming the youngest mayor in Texas at the time.

Carlos Lopez, a close friend to Tenorio who currently serves as a Travis County constable, said she was a natural leader.

"She was very much involved and so her credibility was just second to none when it came down to decision making," Lopez said. "She gained that reputation."

Working to expand Hispanic and Latino representation in Texas politics, Tenorio and Lopez, along with many others, worked to build Tejano Democrats, a grassroots organization aimed at discovering, supporting and helping elect Hispanic candidates to all levels of government.

"Someone has to take the lead on that, and she was all about, you know, improving the lives of the Hispanic community, improving the lives of people out in rural America, rural Texas, always trying to improve the lives of others," Lopez said.

'She did so much'

Tenorio had gained experience in helping people during the 1970s and 1980s working under Judge Bob Perkins, from his service as a justice of the peace, county court-at-law judge and district court judge in Travis County.

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Reflecting on Tenorio's time working in the court system before jumping into local politics, Perkins remembered that it was easy to depend on Tenorio, who eventually served as a director of border and immigration issues and a liaison to the Mexican government in Gov. Ann Richards' administration.

"When you think about it, she's sort of a force of nature kind of person," Perkins said. "She was smart as a whip, and she was very, very good in terms of dealing with the public, and I can't speak highly enough of her."

"I mean, she did so much," Perkins said.

An avid reader and seen as a voice of reason by many, Tenorio was tapped to lead border initiatives when Richards became governor in 1991. Many of those efforts revolved around bringing water and resources to underserved and neglected communities throughout the Texas-Mexico border.

"And I was a little bit younger than her and I remember thinking that woman has swagger and confidence," said Celia Israel, who met Tenorio while also working in Richards' office.

Israel saw the fellow Latina Democrat as a policy wonk with a fighting spirit, passionate to effect change through recruiting smart and qualified Tejanos into the political realm. That meant she took on roles from grassroots campaigning to working behind the scenes to pull the levers of political power and being there as a shoulder to cry on during hard times.

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"She was an activist in the truest sense of the word. 'What is the action that is going to go behind us having that meeting and getting together? What are we going to get done?'" said Israel, who went on to represent Austin in the Texas House. "It was a breath of fresh air for all of us who have been in the trenches over the years, and if Sandra was in the meeting, the agenda was going to be action oriented. We're going to miss that spirit so much."

Tenorio's spirit felt like it was partly born from being raised in a state that largely muted Hispanic voices throughout its history and into the 1960s and 1970s, said Gonzalo Barrientos, a former Texas state senator and friend and colleague of Tenorio.

"It was the era when there were no Hispanic or Mexican American elected officials in Travis County," Barrientos said, reflecting on the period when public schools in Texas were segregated by race.

Tenorio, who was younger than Barrientos, grew up at the tail end of segregation, but she saw the effect that policies built on race had on minority communities, and she was part of a society that was reckoning with its ugly past.

"And when you grow up in that, you want to do something about that to make it right," Barrientos said. "She was one of those people that wanted to make things right.

"I wish that we had a hundred more Sandras, a thousand more Sandras."

Along with her numerous positions on boards, committees and councils, Tenorio was often recognized with awards for her work in both business and politics, receiving different woman of the year accolades over her time in public service.

She would later return to local politics, taking a seat on the Buda City Council in 2005 and even serving a stint as mayor of Buda after that town's top elected official resigned.

'The world lost a titan'

Tenorio died unexpectedly in an Austin hospital Monday after a short stint with pneumonia.

In the wake of her passing, numerous area politicians sent messages of condolences to the family and community after losing someone so many viewed as a close friend.

“A friend of 40 years, Sandra used her local government positions in Hays County to respond meaningfully to the needs of her neighbors, making a difference in the lives of so many," U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, said in a statement. "No Democrat sought office in Hays County without consulting her. Her political engagement reached across the State, and her professional endeavors reached often neglected small rural communities."

Austin City Council Member José Velásquez wrote on Facebook of Tenorio: "The world lost a titan. I am so heartbroken. The Hon. Sandra Tenorio was as brilliant as she was compassionate. She was always willing to take a call, always willing to listen, and always investing in the next gen of Latino leaders."

"She opened the door for many Tejanos and leaves behind an amazing legacy," tweeted U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin.

During the Kyle City Council's regular meeting Tuesday, a day after Tenorio's passing, officials held a moment of silence in her honor. Members of the public then spoke about her, even suggesting to the council that it name its chamber after Tenorio.

Outside of politics, Tenorio could be found traveling the world in search of good food alongside close friends.

"Every time she traveled, she tried to go to the restaurants with the chefs that she was following to see who was the up-and-coming chef in that town, that area," said Nora Linares-Moeller, who worked alongside Tenorio as she oversaw the loan portfolio for Texas Rural Communities, an organization that provides real estate loans to farms, ranches and nonprofits in rural areas throughout the state.

"But I think the best thing and most personal thing about her is she just loved her family, and she loved her friends," Linares-Moeller said. "And she had all these segments of friends that she would travel with, which is awesome."

But there was always work to be done and a candidate to prepare for office.

Chevo Pastrano grew up seeing Tenorio's work in Hays County and was humbled when she approached him about running for a seat in the Texas House in 2024.

Despite her death, Pastrano said that Tenorio, as she always did, had a plan in place well in advance of election season, setting up a road map for the next several months.

"We've truly lost a giant in Hays County," Pastrano said. "Having this giant come to you and say, 'You're next, and I believe in you, and I'm going to support you, and I'm going to do everything I can to help you.'

"There's no words to describe the feeling that you get whenever somebody who you have that deep of respect for comes saying that it's your time."

A service and celebration of Tenorio's life will take place at the St. Anthony Marie de Claret Catholic Church in Kyle, with arrangements still being finalized.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Obituary: Sandra Tenorio, member of Tejano Democrats, dies at 64