This is your weekly news roundup, which takes a quick look at some developments in government, politics, education, environment and other topics across El Paso. 

Escobar Builds Huge Fundraising Advantage Ahead of 2026 Elections

Republicans have not yet raised any significant money to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar of El Paso in 2026, according to campaign finance reports filed this week.

Escobar, who was first elected to represent the El Paso-based 16th Congressional District in 2018, has raised more than $500,000 for her reelection bid so far this year, according to her quarterly report filed with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday. She has more than $300,000 in her campaign bank account as of Sept. 30.

No Democrat has registered with the FEC to raise funds for a primary challenge to Escobar.

The only Republican candidate to register with the FEC is Deliris Montanez Berrios, a retired U.S. Border Patrol agent who previously has mounted unsuccessful challenges to Escobar as a Democrat and as a write-in candidate.

Montanez Berrios, who also goes by the initials DMB, reported raising $1,700 this year. She had $560 in her campaign account as of Sept. 30, and had $59,000 in debts, mostly from money she loaned to her campaigns for previous elections.

Other candidates still can enter the race, but would have little time to raise money. The filing period for a spot in the Republican or Democratic primaries is Nov. 8-Dec. 8, and the primaries are March 3, 2026. The general election is Nov. 3, 2026.

Based on voting history, Texas’ 16th Congressional District is considered a safe Democratic seat. Texas Republicans earlier this year considered redrawing the district’s boundaries to make it more favorable to a GOP candidate, but decided instead to redraw boundaries in Austin, South Texas and Houston in an effort to give the party five more seats in the House of Representatives.

Ysleta ISD Board Will Appoint New Member to Fill Vacancy

The Ysleta Independent School District school board voted 5-0 on Wednesday to forgo an election and fill the vacancy for the Del Valle High School area trustee by appointment. Trustee Cruz Ochoa was absent from the meeting.

The district plans to notify District 7 residents of the vacancy and begin taking interest letters for potential candidates.

YISD’s District 7 seat was left vacant after former Trustee Kathryn Lucero resigned in September with plans to leave the state for a new job in Maine.

Lucero was elected to the YISD board in May 2017. She ran unopposed in May 2021 and 2025, allowing her to keep her seat on the seven-member board after the district canceled the elections due to a lack of challengers. Her term was to expire in 2029.

EPPD Receives $2.25 Million Grant for Community Policing, More Officers

The El Paso Police Department will receive a $2.25 million boost through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, Hiring Program. The grant provides funding to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire law enforcement officers and increase community-oriented policing initiatives.

The city of El Paso will work with the DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to implement the grant.

“The El Paso Police Department has a long-standing tradition of community policing that spans more than 30 years, beginning with the opening of the Pebble Hills Regional Command Center in 1994. This marked the start of a citywide effort to ensure that every area of El Paso receives dedicated, responsive, and community-focused police service,” the Police Department said in a statement.

U.S. Reps. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, and Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, advocated for federal funding to support law enforcement agencies along the U.S.-Mexico border and throughout the state, according to a news release issued Oct. 13.

“We are grateful to our federal partners for their continued support and advocacy on behalf of our community,” Mayor Renard Johnson said in the news release.

Gonzalez in a separate news release said the grant will help onboard 18 police officers. The Police Department has not confirmed how many officers will be hired with the grant funds.

EPPD said the federal support will help reinforce the agency’s commitment to community partnership and maintain El Paso’s reputation as one of the safest large cities in the nation. The department has several community policing programs such as citizen police academies, youth police academies, neighborhood crime watch and the business and resident camera registration programs to help police with video evidence when needed.

“Community policing remains at the heart of how the department serves the people of El Paso. It’s about staying connected to residents, understanding what matters most in each neighborhood, and working together to find solutions that keep our community safe and secure,” the Police Department said.

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