The county judge is one of five members of the El Paso County Commissioners Court, which makes policy-making and budget decisions for the county government. The county judge represents all of El Paso County, serves four-year terms and is paid $152,725 a year.

Who’s running for this seat?

Guadalupe Giner

Guadalupe Giner, 62, is a community affairs consultant.

Minerva Torres Shelton

Minerva Torres Shelton, 57, is a retired FBI supervisory special agent.

Candidate Questionnaires

Candidates were asked to limit their responses to 100 words. Responses have been edited to fit the word count and for grammar.

What are your top priorities if you were to be elected to this office and how would you work to achieve them?

Guadalupe Giner: 1. Strengthen economic development and diversify the tax base by attracting new industries, supporting small business growth, leverage regional assets to promote El Paso County as a hub for international business. 2. Implement long-term budget planning, prioritize finding new non-tax revenue streams, and working with the state of Texas to eliminate unfunded mandates. 3. Advance county capital improvements centered on roads, flood mitigation and public facilities through use of state and federal funds.

Minerva Torres Shelton: My top priorities are restoring fiscal responsibility and balancing the county budget while minimizing the burden on taxpayers and ensuring transparency. I will accomplish this by conducting a line-by-line audit to identify wasteful and non-essential spending, setting strict spending limits, and finding efficiencies through shared services. I will also limit certificates of obligation to true emergencies and propose reducing the county judge’s salary.

How would you balance the need to fund local services with concerns about tax burdens on residents while ensuring approved bond projects are completed within budget?

Guadalupe Giner: 1. Fund essential services without making tax increases the default solution by prioritizing, public safety, courts, indigent health and infrastructure maintenance. Use conservative revenue estimates. 2. Grow commercial and industrial tax bases, aggressively pursue state and federal grants, coordinate with cities and regional partners. 3. Establish bond project scope early to prevent project overruns, build in realistic contingencies, phase projects strategically. 4. Hold contractors accountable for benchmarks and penalties for delays.

Minerva Torres Shelton: Balancing county services, bond commitments, tax burdens, and the approved budget is essential, but the current county deficit makes this challenging. Essential services and voter-approved bond projects must come first. Any services that were reduced or eliminated should only be revisited after a full fiscal audit is completed. Rightsizing spending, along with strict oversight and transparency, is critical. I will also partner with nonprofit organizations and community groups to coordinate services and resources.

What is your stance on county cooperation with federal immigration authorities, and how would you balance legal requirements with community trust and public safety?

Guadalupe Giner: The county does not set federal immigration law but does have obligations under Texas and federal law.  At the same time, they should not go beyond what the law requires, especially if that diverts resources from local priorities. We must avoid informal cooperation which will create confusion. Clarity will avoid unnecessary fear. Work with community organizations and faith leaders to address fear or misinformation before it spreads. 

Minerva Torres Shelton: With my experience in both local and federal law enforcement, I understand the importance of cooperation to border security and the enforcement of local, state and federal laws. It’s critical to understand how those needs impact the county budget. As county judge, I will support lawful cooperation with law enforcement and work closely with the county sheriff to anticipate costs, prevent budget shortfalls, and seek state or federal assistance when appropriate.

What’s your plan to attract investment and good-paying jobs to El Paso County while ensuring growth benefits residents across all communities?

Guadalupe Giner: 1. Attract jobs that raise incomes and stabilize the tax base by prioritizing, aerospace, department of defense, biomedical, cybersecurity sectors. 2. Create partnerships with local small and large employers to provide apprenticeships. 3. Ensure growth reaches every community. 4. Support local and small business as job creators. Simplify county process including permits and inspections. Provide temporary tax relief to new small businesses, tying the tax relief to creating apprenticeships.

Minerva Torres Shelton: As county judge, I will work closely with city and county economic development offices and create advisory committees made up of small business owners and business leaders to drive collaboration and attract quality jobs. We must evaluate what has worked in the past, what hasn’t, and focus on attracting businesses that meet the needs of our community. I will also leverage El Paso’s strengths in border trade, aerospace, logistics, and higher education, while aligning workforce training to ensure economic growth benefits all El Paso County.

What beliefs and values lead you to run as a Republican?

Guadalupe Giner: I believe in limited government, personal responsibility, fiscal discipline, public safety and local control.

Minerva Torres Shelton: I believe in limited government, lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, accountability and transparency. My service in the military, the El Paso Police Department, and the FBI taught me that leadership requires discipline, responsibility and consequences. When government overspends or engages in backroom deals, families and essential services suffer. I believe decisions must be made by listening to the people, protecting taxpayers, supporting public safety, and ensuring county government works for the community, not politicians.

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