Nelson William Wolff has represented Bexar County in various political offices since 1971, when he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives. Thereafter, he was elected to the Texas Senate in 1973, the San Antonio City Council in 1987, and served as Mayor of San Antonio from 1991 to 1995. He served as Bexar County Judge from 2001 to 2022; having been appointed in 2001 and subsequently elected to five full terms. He is only the second person in more than a century to serve as both Mayor of San Antonio and Bexar County Judge.

During his time as County Judge, Wolff redefined county government and is known as the architect of modern Bexar County government. Over his service for 21 years and 9 months, he led the Commissioners Court to reorganize county government and establish a streamlined management system that enabled the county to be a major force in local government.

Many of his other accomplishments include: created new departments in Bexar County to take on new responsibilities; helped broker the deal that brought a Toyota manufacturing plant to the South Side; oversaw the expansion of the University Hospital system; led the restoration and development of the San Pedro Creek improvement project; together with his wife Tracy created the nation’s first all-digital public library system Bibliotech; instituted the concept of therapeutic justice with the creation of 14 specialty courts; and also successfully received voter-approval for a visitor tax-backed $415 million bond package for projects such as the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, Briscoe Western Art Museum, Alameda Theater, AT&T Center and Freeman Coliseum improvements, San Antonio River improvements, and the construction of 13 amateur sports facilities.

Wolff and his family built two large companies—Alamo Enterprises and Sun Harvest Stores— and sold them both to national companies. Wolff holds a bachelor of business administration from St. Mary's University and a doctorate of jurisprudence from St. Mary's University School of Law. Throughout his life, Wolff has excelled in both politics and business.

Starting in 2023, Wolff will be a distinguished service professor at St. Mary’s University and a non-faculty advisor at the University of Texas at San Antonio and will share his knowledge of government and politics to help prepare future civic leaders.

Together, Judge Wolff and his wife Tracy, President of the Hidalgo Foundation, have six children and eight grandchildren.