Who is running in El Paso County, Texas in 2026
- County Judge
- Ricardo Samaniego and Minerva Torres Shelton
- County Commissioner, Precinct 2
- Miguel "Mike" Teran and Matt Sistrunk
- County Commissioner, Precinct 4
- Annette Griego and Leo Arcos
- El Paso City Representative, District 1
- Alejandra Chávez, Matthew James Kozik, Daniela Garcia and Sam Armijo
- El Paso City Representative, District 5
- Ivan Niño and Richard Genera
- El Paso City Representative, District 6
- Art Fierro, Jesus "Jesse" Moreno, Claudia Contreras Siller, Pedro Fernandez Jr. and Hector Alba
- El Paso City Representative, District 8
- Chris Canales, Matthew Guzman, Arturo Alluin, Laura Ochoa-Todd and Johnny J. Gonzalez
- Canutillo ISD Trustee, At Large
- Pedro Galaviz, Ryan Escamilla, Sergio Martinez, Cindy Andrade Carrillo, Breanne Barnes, Blanca Trout and Guadalupe Montañez
- U.S. Senator
- James Talarico and Ken Paxton
- Governor
- Gina Hinojosa and Greg Abbott
- Lieutenant Governor
- Vikki Goodwin and Dan Patrick
- Attorney General
- Nathan Johnson and Mayes Middleton
- U.S. Representative, District 16
- Veronica Escobar and Adam Bauman
- U.S. Representative, District 23
- Katy Padilla Stout, Brandon Herrera and Ben Mendoza
- State Representative, District 74
- Eddie Morales Jr. and Robert Garza
- State Representative, District 77
- Vince Perez and Humberto Perez
- State Representative, District 79
- Claudia Ordaz and Jesse Romero
El Paso County
These races are partisan. The county judge and four commissioners run the county budget, the jail and the Sheriff's Office budget, and county roads, and they voted on incentives for Meta's data center in Northeast El Paso. Commissioners Precincts 2 and 4 are up this year, and in both the Democratic incumbent lost the March primary. The sheriff and district attorney aren't on this year's ballot.
County Judge
Vote for oneSamaniego calls Torres Shelton a "MAGA Republican"; she calls herself a moderate. Neither rates "good," and we call it a toss-up. When a race comes out even we pick the candidate closer to our side, so the pick goes to Samaniego.
Ricardo Samaniego
Compromised (best choice in this race) DemocratSeeking what he says would be his third and last term; in August he voted for the no-new-revenue tax rate. His top donors include Stanley Jobe of Jobe Materials, the Bowling brothers, Woody and Gayle Hunt and Paul Foster, plus Marathon Petroleum's employee PAC.
Sources: El Paso Matters, KTSM, KVIA
Minerva Torres Shelton
Not enough info RepublicanSays "There's nothing in my platform that would lead people to believe that I'm MAGA," and wants voters to approve big projects like the Downtown Deck Plaza. She hasn't named specific budget cuts and wouldn't say whether she'd adopt the no-new-revenue tax rate.
Sources: El Paso Matters, KVIA
County Commissioner, Precinct 2
Vote for oneCentral El Paso and the Lower Valley. Teran beat Commissioner David Stout in the March Democratic primary. Neither candidate rates "good"; we pick Teran as the one closer to our side.
Miguel "Mike" Teran
Compromised (best choice in this race) DemocratHis largest donor is the El Paso Sheriff's Officers Association ($8,500), followed by Stanley Jobe of Jobe Materials. He told a primary questionnaire he'd never been personally sued, but court records show subcontractors named him in several debt and contract suits.
Sources: El Paso Matters, KTSM, KVIA
Matt Sistrunk
Not good people RepublicanPromotes TEXITcoin, which the Texas State Securities Board has accused of fraud, and proposed keeping county money in cryptocurrency and gold, which Texas law doesn't allow. Opposes data center tax breaks and all certificates of obligation.
Sources: El Paso Matters, KVIA
County Commissioner, Precinct 4
Vote for oneWest and Northeast El Paso, Westway, Canutillo and Anthony. Griego beat Commissioner Sergio Coronado in the March Democratic primary.
Annette Griego
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratSays she won't vote to raise property taxes and points to the Sheriff's Office, with a nearly $6 million deficit, as the place to look for savings. She admits a spotty voting record before 2018.
Sources: El Paso Matters, KTSM
Leo Arcos
Not enough info RepublicanRunning on lower property taxes and against the Deck Plaza: "El Paso County should not be in the business of entertainment." He registered in 2004 but first voted in 2025, raised about $2,000, and didn't answer El Paso Matters.
Sources: El Paso Matters, KVIA
Contested district judges
Not profiledWe haven't profiled judges yet. On the ballot countywide: 120th District Court (Ben Ivey, R; Chris Anchondo, D) and 168th District Court (R. Wayne Pritchard, R; Bernardo Cruz, D).
Unopposed county races
No contestDistrict Clerk (Norma Favela Barceleau), County Clerk (Delia Briones), Chief Justice of the 8th Court of Appeals (Maria Salas Mendoza), district courts 171st (Amanda Enriquez), 205th (Francisco X. Dominguez), 210th (Alyssa G. Perez), 243rd (Selena N. Solis) and 327th (Monique Velarde Reyes), County Courts at Law No. 1 (Ruth Reyes), 2 (Frances M. Maldonado), 3 (Melissa Baeza), 4 (Eunice Reyes), 5 (Jesus Rodriguez), 6 (M. Sue Kurita) and 7 (Ruben Morales), County Criminal Courts at Law No. 1 (Linda Perez) and 2 (Robert S. Anchondo), Probate Courts No. 1 (Patricia B. Chew) and 2 (Gabriella M. Reed), and Justices of the Peace in Precincts 1 (Denise Butterworth), 2 (Christie Saiz), 3 (Josh Herrera), 4 (Rebeca Bustamante), 5 (Dora Oaxaca Rivera), 6 Place 1 (Ruben Lujan), 6 Place 2 (Enedina "Nina" Serna) and 7 (Humberto "Beto" Enriquez). All are Democrats.
El Paso elections
These races are nonpartisan. Four of eight council seats are up; the mayor and Districts 2, 3, 4 and 7 are next on the ballot in 2028. The big issues are Meta's data center in Northeast El Paso and its city tax incentives, and the proposed Deck Plaza over I-10 Downtown. In June the council voted 5 to 3 not to start ending the Meta incentive deal; Canales was one of the three who voted to end it. A race with no majority winner goes to a runoff.
City Representative, District 1
Vote for oneAlejandra Chávez
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) NonpartisanMatthew James Kozik
Seems like good people NonpartisanOpposes any more data centers and says that, having enforced ethics rules in the Army, he'd "give our Ethics Commission real teeth." Opposes the Deck Plaza as planned unless the state or federal government pays for it.
Sources: KVIA, El Paso Matters
Daniela Garcia
Seems like good people NonpartisanLeads a local group fighting data centers and wants Meta's city incentives revoked if the company doesn't keep its original promises. Opposes the Deck Plaza, which she says "is being sold to the city as a mirage."
Sources: KVIA
Sam Armijo
Not enough info NonpartisanRan for this seat before. Says the first thing he'd do is urge the council to ban permits for new data centers; we found little else about his views.
Sources: KVIA, El Paso Matters
City Representative, District 5
Vote for oneIvan Niño
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) NonpartisanRichard Genera
Seems like good people NonpartisanRan for this seat before. Says the city "failed to sufficiently challenge or thoroughly explore the Meta agreement" and faults Niño for staying quiet through budget hearings, then voting against the budget.
Sources: KVIA, El Paso Matters
City Representative, District 6
Vote for oneArt Fierro
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) NonpartisanJesus "Jesse" Moreno
Seems like good people NonpartisanOpposes the Meta deal and wants the Deck Plaza paid for with private, state and federal money, not El Paso taxpayers.
Sources: KVIA, El Paso Matters
Claudia Contreras Siller
Not enough info NonpartisanHas spoken against data centers at City Hall and says the city could still sue Meta for deceptive trade practices. Would vote against "every single vanity project."
Sources: KVIA
Pedro Fernandez Jr.
Not enough info NonpartisanWe found nothing about him beyond his filing.
Sources: El Paso Matters
Hector Alba
Not enough info NonpartisanHadn't answered KVIA's candidate questionnaire, and we found nothing else.
Sources: KVIA
City Representative, District 8
Vote for oneDowntown, the Southside and the Westside.
Chris Canales
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) NonpartisanMatthew Guzman
Seems like good people NonpartisanRuns a foundation that helps county residents facing financial hardship and co-founded the Friends of Sunset Heights neighborhood group. Calls himself "an advocate for the Deck Plaza."
Sources: KVIA, El Paso Matters
Arturo Alluin
Compromised NonpartisanHis July campaign report listed more than $2,500 at Brooks Brothers and Dillard's as "campaign clothing" and more than $6,000 at restaurants, including his own. He later amended the report to drop the clothing.
Sources: El Paso Matters, El Paso Matters
Laura Ochoa-Todd
Not enough info NonpartisanSays "we should not entertain having future data center projects" and calls the Deck Plaza "another big waste of money."
Sources: KVIA
Johnny J. Gonzalez
Not enough info NonpartisanWants the Deck Plaza put to a public vote and reduced in size and cost. His questionnaire answers were brief.
Sources: KVIA
School boards and local races
These races are nonpartisan. El Paso, Ysleta and Socorro ISDs have no trustee races this fall; Socorro, Ysleta and Tornillo have tax elections (see propositions). Canutillo ISD, which is building out a $387 million bond that passed by 13 votes in 2024, has three full-term seats and one unexpired seat on the ballot.
Canutillo ISD Trustee, At Large
Vote for threeThree full four-year seats; the top three vote-getters win. We pick only two: the other candidates each carry a problem we'd weigh first.
Pedro Galaviz
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) NonpartisanBacks the bond and its outside project manager and says he'd judge his successor by results. In 2024 he signed a contract to buy a 51-acre horse farm for a middle school without prior board approval, which the board later ratified.
Sources: El Paso Matters
Ryan Escamilla
Not enough info (best choice in this race) NonpartisanWants careful budget oversight and bond projects kept on schedule, and would back a tax increase if needed to meet student and teacher needs. He has no record in office.
Sources: El Paso Matters
Sergio Martinez
Compromised NonpartisanWants to see the bond through and bring "harmony" to a board that often fights in public. He was convicted in 2016 of assault causing bodily injury over a 2013 incident and served 10 days in jail.
Sources: El Paso Matters
Cindy Andrade Carrillo
Compromised NonpartisanThe city is suing her over about $7,800 in unpaid 2025 taxes on her home, after earlier suits over taxes in 2018 and 2022. She didn't respond to El Paso Matters.
Sources: El Paso Matters
Breanne Barnes
Compromised NonpartisanRuns on "parental rights" and was the only trustee to vote against calling the 2024 bond. In 2021 she tried to have "Gender Queer: A Memoir" removed from a high school library.
Sources: El Paso Matters, The 74
Blanca Trout
Compromised NonpartisanThe board censured her in 2022 for using school resources to promote a campaign; she had run as a Republican for County Commissioner, Precinct 4, and lost. Won't say how she'd have voted on the 2024 bond.
Sources: El Paso Matters, KVIA, Canutillo ISD
Guadalupe Montañez
Not enough info NonpartisanThe board voted in May to end her contract after a child abuse investigation led to the arrest of three employees in a special education classroom; she says she's being unfairly blamed. She'd have to resign her job if elected.
Sources: El Paso Matters
Other contested local races
Not profiledWe haven't profiled these. Fabens ISD Place 1 (Alberto Sanchez, Angel Ornelas Jr.), Place 2 (Benjamin Morales, Maria "Lupe" Ornelas, Gloria Sepulveda Hernandez) and Place 4 (Julieta Sepulveda Ramirez, Raymundo Calzadias); Tornillo ISD Place 4 (Estela Pacheco, Ida Carbajal Estrada), Place 6 (Ofelia Bosquez, Lupita Alcala) and Place 7 (Carmen Bonilla, Irma Elias); Village of Vinton Alderman Place 4 (Lourdes "Lulu" Cloud, Richard Tovar Jr.); Lower Valley Water District Place 1 (Rosalinda Alarcon Vigil, Maria G. Mendoza); and El Paso County Water Control and Improvement District No. 4 Position 2 (Luz Marquez, Jorge Carrasco Jr.).
Unopposed local races
No contestCanutillo ISD unexpired two-year seat (Patsy Mendoza, a former trustee; Brandi Stevenson is a declared write-in), Tornillo ISD Place 5 (Bryan Alvarez), Vinton Alderman Places 3 (Paula Monrreal) and 5 (Santos Lucero), Lower Valley Water District Places 2 (Rod Chavez) and 3 (Henry A. Trujillo), and Water Control and Improvement District No. 4 Positions 1 (Samuel Madrid) and 5 (Joe T. Solis). The Town of Clint and Clint ISD canceled their elections.
State and federal
El Paso County is split between congressional Districts 16 and 23 and among Texas House Districts 74, 75, 77, 78 and 79, so check your sample ballot to see which are yours. No Texas Senate seat is on the county's ballot this year. House Districts 75 (Mary E. González) and 78 (Joe Moody) are unopposed. Three 15th Court of Appeals seats are on every Texas ballot and are listed with the statewide races.
U.S. Senator
Vote for oneAlso on the ballot: Ted Brown (Libertarian).
James Talarico
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratA former teacher who wrote the Texas law capping insulin at $25 a month and co-wrote a ban on police chokeholds.
Sources: Wikipedia
Ken Paxton
Not good people RepublicanSued to throw out four states' 2020 votes and spoke at the January 6 rally, telling the crowd "We will not quit fighting." The Republican-led Texas House impeached him for corruption 121 to 23; the state Senate acquitted him in 2023.
Sources: Wikipedia, Texas Tribune, Al Jazeera, Texas Public Radio
Governor
Vote for oneAlso on the ballot: Pat Dixon (Libertarian).
Gina Hinojosa
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratA public school advocate who ran the Austin school board before the Legislature.
Sources: Texas Tribune
Greg Abbott
Not good people RepublicanSigned SB 4, which lets state police arrest and deport people on suspicion of illegal entry, and bused more than 100,000 migrants to other cities as a stunt. Also signed the school voucher law.
Sources: Texas Tribune, Wikipedia
Lieutenant Governor
Vote for oneAlso on the ballot: Anthony Cristo (Libertarian), Kevin McCormick (Green).
Vikki Goodwin
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratRunning on school funding and against vouchers.
Sources: Texas Tribune
Attorney General
Vote for oneAlso on the ballot: Tom Oxford (Libertarian).
Nathan Johnson
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratHas passed about 134 bills since 2019 and promises to run the AG's office as a law office again instead of a political shop.
Sources: Texas Tribune
Mayes Middleton
Not good people RepublicanCalls himself "MAGA Mayes" and has called 2020 "a stolen election." Beat Chip Roy by attacking him for certifying the 2020 results.
Sources: Texas Tribune, KSAT
Everything else on the statewide ballot
Not profiledComptroller, Land Commissioner, Agriculture Commissioner, Railroad Commissioner, the State Board of Education, and the Supreme Court and appeals court seats. We haven't profiled these yet.
U.S. Representative, District 16
Vote for oneMost of El Paso. No Republican has won this seat since 1962.
Veronica Escobar
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratAdam Bauman
Not enough info RepublicanCalls himself "your conservative candidate" and lists support for "women only sports" and "women only restrooms." He declined repeated interview requests from El Paso Matters, didn't answer KVIA's questionnaire, and hadn't filed campaign finance reports as of May.
Sources: El Paso Matters, KVIA, Ballotpedia
U.S. Representative, District 23
Vote for oneCovers part of El Paso County. Rep. Tony Gonzales dropped out of the Republican runoff in March.
Katy Padilla Stout
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratRunning on universal pre-K, health costs, abortion rights and background checks. Endorsed by the Texas AFL-CIO, TSTA, EMILY's List and Sheriff Javier Salazar.
Sources: EMILY's List, Campaign site
Brandon Herrera
Not good people RepublicanEndorsed by Trump, and campaigned in El Paso with Ken Paxton. Past videos include jokes using Nazi imagery and remarks mocking women and veteran suicides.
Sources: The Guardian, KVIA, Wikipedia
Ben Mendoza
Not enough info IndependentHas run for El Paso mayor, council and Congress before. Lists border security, water and soil conservation, and farm, oil and cattle interests.
Sources: San Antonio Report, BallotReady
State Representative, District 74
Vote for oneThe state's largest House district: eleven counties and more than 770 miles of the border, including part of El Paso County. A rematch: Morales won in 2024 with 51.7%.
Eddie Morales Jr.
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratEndorsed by the Texas AFL-CIO. In 2025 he stayed on the House floor rather than break quorum over redistricting, while saying "I unequivocally oppose this sudden and politically motivated power grab."
Sources: KVIA, Ballotpedia, WJLA
Robert Garza
Not enough info RepublicanLost to Morales in 2024 by 51.7% to 48.3% and narrowly won this year's Republican primary. He didn't answer KVIA's questionnaire, and we found little on his current platform.
Sources: Ballotpedia, KVIA
State Representative, District 77
Vote for oneVince Perez
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratPassed a bill to rebuild UTEP's student union and co-wrote the law licensing qualified foreign-trained doctors; says he'll file bills to end property tax breaks for data centers and keep fighting vouchers. Endorsed by the Texas AFL-CIO.
Sources: KVIA, Ballotpedia
Humberto Perez
Not enough info RepublicanSays his main priority is "finding any fraudulent wasteful government spending that doesn’t help the people of El Paso." We found no campaign website or record.
Sources: KVIA, BallotReady
State Representative, District 79
Vote for oneEast and Northeast El Paso, including the airport and Fort Bliss.
Claudia Ordaz
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratPassed a law letting women get up to a 12-month supply of prescribed contraception, and "Pancho's Law" on pet cruelty. Endorsed by the National Education Association and the Texas AFL-CIO.
Sources: KVIA, Ballotpedia
Jesse Romero
Not enough info RepublicanFinished fifth of five in the 2024 race for City Council District 3. He didn't answer KVIA's questionnaire, and we found nothing on his platform.
Sources: Ballotpedia, El Paso Matters
School and district propositions
We describe what each proposition does and don't make recommendations. A tax ratification election asks voters to approve a rate the school board already adopted; if it fails, the rate drops to the highest one allowed without voter approval. There are no statewide constitutional amendments on this ballot.
School district tax elections
Propositions- Socorro ISD, Prop A: Ratifies a $1.0505 tax rate, an 18.13% increase in operating revenue (about $17.3 million). The district says it would pay for hiring teachers, restarting elementary fine arts, buses and repairs, and that rejection could mean staff cuts and school closures. Homes worth $140,000 or less pay no school tax either way; the average home would pay about $160 more a year. Voters rejected a similar measure last year.
- Ysleta ISD, Prop A: Ratifies a $1.1954 tax rate by moving 3 cents from the debt rate to the operating rate, raising about $5.5 million a year for a district with a $12 million deficit. The ballot calls it a tax increase but lists a 1.70% drop in operating revenue. The average home would pay about $6 more a year.
- Tornillo ISD, Prop A: Ratifies a $1.2017 tax rate, a 17.04% increase in operating revenue (about $361,000), for new buses with seat belts, a high school roof and cooling system, and campus shade.
Horizon Regional MUD, Mountain Shadow Unit 1
PropositionsOnly for voters in this small defined area near Horizon City.
- Prop A: Creates the Mountain Shadow Unit 1 defined area.
- Prop B: Up to $3.5 million in bonds for water, sewer and drainage, repaid by property taxes in the area. Tax increase.
- Prop C: Up to $3.5 million in bonds to refinance the area's bonds. Tax increase.
- Prop D: An operations and maintenance tax of up to 50 cents per $100 of value in the area. Tax increase.
More Texas guides
Governor, statewide offices and ballot measures: Texas statewide races.
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