Ricardo Samaniego wins reelection as Democrats claim El Paso County Commissioners Court seats

Three Democrats won their races for seats on the El Paso County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, with County Judge Ricardo Samaniego elected to a third term.

Samaniego, 77, a businessman and consultant with a background in mental healthcare, received 69% of the votes. Republican Minerva Torres Shelton, 58, an Army veteran and former El Paso police officer and FBI agent, received 31%.

Samaniego said he is excited to begin his third term, now with the experience leading the county through multiple crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, immigration influx and the Walmart mass shooting. Samaniego cited expanding the film industry in the county, strengthening relationships with Mexico, and improving access to health care and mental health as priorities for his next term.

“I feel now that I’ve got the experience and I can hit the road (running). There’s not going to be a learning curve – one of the most difficult things in government is when you have a learning curve and it takes you time to get there and I feel so good to be prepared,” Samaniego told El Paso Matters at his watch party at the Andale Mexican Restaurant and Cantina Tuesday.

Torres Shelton said she was grateful to her volunteers while celebrating their hard work at Las Comadres Restaurant on North Loop Drive.

“I am blessed to have met this wonderful team, and we all work incredibly hard. But you know, they are elections and at the end of the day, the people elect who they want as their leader,” she told El Paso Matters.

Torres Shelton said she will not run for elected office again and has something else “lined up,” but was not ready to disclose what it is.

The county judge represents all of El Paso County, serves a four-year term and is paid $152,725 a year.

Democrats Miguel “Mike” Teran and Annette Griego easily defeated their Republican opponents for county commissioners of Precinct 2 and Precinct 4, respectively.

Teran received 77% of the early votes, while Republican Thomas M. Matt Sistrunk garnered 23%. Precinct 2 covers Central El Paso and part of the Lower Valley.

Teran, 61, a construction project management CEO, defeated longtime Commissioner David Stout in the March Democratic primary election. Sistrunk, 67, an Army veteran and crypto miner, was unopposed in the Republican primary.

Teran could not immediately be reached for comment.

Sistrunk said running for office was a positive experience and he learned a lot along the way despite not winning the Precinct 2 seat.

“I’m a better man for having run as a county commissioner candidate,” Sistrunk said in a phone interview with El Paso Matters. “It’s been overall a very positive experience, and that’s just the way I choose to live my life, is looking at all of the positive things and blessings.”

Griego, 51, a nurse practitioner, received about 65% of the votes while Republican Leonard Arcos, 40, a military veteran, received 35%.

Griego thanked voters for putting their trust in her.

“I am humbled by the opportunity to serve our community and grateful to everyone who supported us throughout this campaign. I look forward to getting to work, listening to our residents, and doing everything I can to make a positive difference for the people of our county and my precinct,” Griego said in a text response to El Paso Matters.

Arcos could not immediately be reached for comment.

Precinct 4 covers West and Northeast El Paso, as well as Vinton, Westway, Canutillo and Anthony, Texas. 

Griego in the March primary defeated incumbent Commissioner Sergio Coronado, who was seeking his second term. Arcos was unopposed in the Republican primary.

County commissioners serve four-year terms and are paid $133,466 a year. The winners will take the oath of office Jan. 1.

Commissioners Court will face balancing increasing costs for services with impact to taxpayers, growing public safety expenditures and a nearly $8 million Sheriff’s Office budget deficit for overtime at the county jails.

The court sets a tax rate, adopts a budget and makes policy decisions for the county government hospital district, and approves proposals to build and maintain roads, bridges and county buildings and facilities.

The county government has a $541 million general fund budget for the current fiscal year.

Campaign contributions

In the money race for county judge, Samaniego raised about $188,100 for his reelection bid since January 2025, including $18,000 during the filing period of Oct. 2-24.

Area business leaders and developers who often contribute to local candidates continue to be Samaniego’s biggest donors. In October, he received $2,500 each from Woody Hunt, Benjamin Arreola and James Scherr. He also received donations from multiple political action committees, including $5,000 from Texas Realtors PAC, $2,000 from HNTB Holdings LTD PAC and $1,500 from HDR, Inc. Employee Owners РАС.

Samaniego has about $67,000 left in his campaign coffers.

Torres Shelton has raised about $40,500 for her campaign since January. Her latest filing shows she raised about $1,500 and loaned her campaign another $5,000. She has loaned her campaign $15,000 total.

She has about $900 left to spend for her campaign.

Teran reported raising about $11,500 in the last month, bringing his campaign total to about $83,000 through Oct. 24. He received $5,000 from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Association, $1,000 from state Sen. Cesar Blanco, $1,500 from Woody Hunt and $2,000 from community health advocate Alfredo Arellano. He has raised about $83,000 for his campaign and reported having about $9,000 left to spend before the election.

Sistrunk has raised about $13,500 and loaned himself $2,000. He did not file the eighth-day before the election report.

Griego has raised about $6,000 for her campaign since January. Her contributions for the current reporting period show a $1,000 contribution from Blanco and a $500 in-kind donation from Ruben Ortiz, a local attorney for campaign signs. She listed that she had $65,000 in loans to her campaign and loaned her campaign an additional $15,000 on the Oct. 5 filing, but did not list the $15,000 loan in her current filing.

She has about $18,000 left to spend ahead of the election.

Arcos reported raising $600 in the latest filing period, raising a total of about $2,650 for his campaign. None of his contributions exceeded $500. He has about $180 left to spend ahead of the election.

UNCONTESTED COUNTY RACES

The following candidates were uncontested in the Nov. 3 midterms, effectively being elected. They will take office in January and serve four-year terms.

El Paso County

• County Clerk: Delia Briones (Democrat)
• District Clerk: Norma Favela Barceleau (Democrat)

Justices of the Peace

• Precinct 1: Denise Butterworth
• Precinct 2: Christie Saiz
• Precinct 3: Josh Herrera
• Precinct 4: Rebeca Bustamante
• Precinct 5: Dora Oaxaca
• Precinct 6, Place 1: Ruben Lujan
• Precinct 6, Place 2: Enedina “Nina” Serna
• Precinct 7: Humberto “Beto” Enriquez

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