{"id":152200,"date":"2026-02-05T14:56:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T14:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/152200\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T14:56:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T14:56:09","slug":"ricardo-samaniego-did-not-file-sergio-coronado-filed-incomplete-campaign-reports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/152200\/","title":{"rendered":"Ricardo Samaniego Did Not File &#038; Sergio Coronado Filed Incomplete Campaign Reports"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"980\" height=\"551\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/eph_8-980x551.png\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"A picture of candidates running in March. From left to right, David Stout, Minerva Torres Shelton, Ricardo Samaniego, Guadalupe Giner, Sergio Coronado and Annette Griego.\" decoding=\"async\"  \/>  <\/p>\n<p>EL PASO, Tx., February 5, 2026: The latest campaign finance reports were due on Monday. Incumbent Ricardo Samaniego failed to file his report and incumbent Sergio Coronado filed an incomplete report. Candidate for county judge in the Republican primary, Minerva Torres Shelton updated her January 15 report. The 30-day reports cover the period from January 1 through January 22. Here is what our review of the campaign reports found.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/civispulse.com\/pulse.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/civis_polls_1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-895\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>County Judge Race<\/p>\n<p>In the county judge\u2019s race, the incumbent, Ricardo Samaniego is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. He failed to file his report on Monday. As we <a href=\"https:\/\/elpasoheraldpost.com\/2026\/01\/19\/campaign-finance-reports-for-county-judge-race\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">reported<\/a>, Samaniego\u2019s expenditures to date have raised questions since he faces no opponent until November but has spent over $42,806.05 on his campaign. Since he did not file his report on Monday it is unknown if the large campaign expenses continue or have ended.<\/p>\n<p>On the Republican ticket there are two candidates seeking the Republican nomination for November. They are Guadalupe Giner and Minerva Torres Shelton.<\/p>\n<p>We asked Giner about her thoughts about Samaniego\u2019s failure to file his latest campaign report.<\/p>\n<p>Guadalupe Giner<\/p>\n<p>In an email statement Giner said that \u201cJudge Samaniego didn\u2019t file his campaign finance report on time. That\u2019s not okay.\u201d She added that \u201cTexas law exists so voters know exactly who\u2019s funding campaigns.\u201d Giner explained that \u201cas someone running for County Judge, you have to lead by example \u2013 transparency and following the rules matter,\u201d she added, \u201cI filed mine on time because El Paso deserves full honesty and accountability from day one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Giner\u2019s report shows that she accepted $150 in campaign contributions and spent $1,554. She reported a balance of $424.01 in campaign funds left in her account. Giner\u2019s largest expense was $498.22 for banners.<\/p>\n<p>Minerva Torres Shelton<\/p>\n<p>As we previously <a href=\"https:\/\/elpasoheraldpost.com\/2026\/01\/21\/county-judge-candidate-minerva-torres-shelton-files-late-campaign-finance-report\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">reported<\/a>, Minerva Torres Shelton filed her last report five days late. In addition to filing Monday\u2019s report, she amended her January 15 report. According to the explanation for the amended report, Torres-Shelton wrote that she added the date of her loan, something we pointed out was missing in her late report. She also corrected her balances and added a missing fee of $77.30. The fee was for processing credit cards for contributions.<\/p>\n<p>According to Monday\u2019s report, Torres-Shelton accepted $1,900.14 in campaign contributions and spent $1,470. 94 in expenses. She reported $11,931.29 left in campaign funds, slightly more than the $11,502.09 she reported in the last period. Her largest contribution was $500 from Sandra V. Marquez. The largest expense she reported was $1,080.53 for signs.<\/p>\n<p>There are two Democrats running for the District 4 county commissioners seat and one Republican. The two Democrats are the incumbent Sergio Coronado and Annette Griego. Leonard Arcos on the Republican ticket does not face an opponent in the primary. He will face the winner between Coronado and Griego in November.<\/p>\n<p>Sergio Coronado<\/p>\n<p>A required page in the report is the summary sheet that lists total political contributions received by the candidate as well as expenditures, money remaining in the campaign\u2019s accounts and any loans that are outstanding. County Commissioner for Precinct 4 incumbent Sergio Coronado failed to accurately fill in the summary sheet.<\/p>\n<p>According to Coronado\u2019s summary sheet, he did not receive any political contributions during this period and spent $3,025. He also reported he has $34,805 left in campaign funds.<\/p>\n<p>However, the itemized amounts in the report he filed show that he accepted $5,000 in campaign contributions, which he did not list in the summary sheet of his latest report. The $5,000 contribution was made by the El Paso Sheriff\u2019s Officers Association on January 5.<\/p>\n<p>Coronado also failed to add the address of his largest expense during this period. Coronado reported a $1,500 payment to Mick Martinez for \u201cwebsite mailers\u201d but did not add the vendor\u2019s address as required. Martinez is an El Paso <a href=\"https:\/\/mick-martinez.webflow.io\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">graphics designer<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>According to our <a href=\"https:\/\/elpasoheraldpost.com\/2026\/01\/22\/campaign-finance-reports-for-county-commissioner-4-candidates\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">previous reporting<\/a>, Coronado\u2019s largest campaign contributor was Stanley Jobe who was <a href=\"https:\/\/elpasonews.org\/2025\/07\/21\/the-el-paso-father-son-bank-fraud-case\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">convicted of bank fraud<\/a> in 1994 and later pardoned by Bill Clinton in 2001. The Sheriff\u2019s contribution is the second $5,000 political contribution reported by Coronado.<\/p>\n<p>Annette Griego<\/p>\n<p>In her latest report, Annette Griego reported only $5.00 in campaign contributions. The contribution was made by her campaign consultant, Chris Hernandez. It is possible that the $5.00 contribution by her consultant was to test the \u201cDonate Now\u201d button on her website because the following day, Griego reported paying Hernandez $1,750 for \u201cconsulting and website.\u201d This was Griego\u2019s largest expense. Griego reported $2,599.77 in campaign expenses and reported having $21,405.23 in campaigns funds left in her account.<\/p>\n<p>In the county commissioner District 4 race there are three candidates, two in the Democratic primary and one in the Republican primary. Thomas Sistrunk is unopposed in the Republican ticket and will face the winner between the two Democrats, incumbent David Stout and Miguel Teran. Sistrunk did not file a report on Monday, and his last report shows that he raised $1,423 and spent $2,300.14.<\/p>\n<p>David Stout<\/p>\n<p>In his report David Stout reported accepting $3,260 in campaign contributions and spending $5,169.98 Stout also reported having $24,852.75 in campaign funds left.<\/p>\n<p>Stout\u2019s largest contributor this period was Ted Houghton for $1,000. In his January 15 report, Stout reported contributions from Richard Aguilar for $2,500, Miguel Fernandez for $1,000, <a href=\"https:\/\/elpasonews.org\/2025\/07\/21\/the-el-paso-father-son-bank-fraud-case\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Stanley Jobe<\/a> for $5,000 and $10,000 from the El Paso Sheriff\u2019s Officers Association in two contributions.<\/p>\n<p>Miguel Fernandez is one of the individuals <a href=\"https:\/\/elpasonews.org\/2025\/09\/18\/project-jupiter-the-el-paso-connection-to-the-santa-teresa-data-center\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">behind<\/a> the nation\u2019s largest datacenter being built in Santa Teresa, Project Jupiter. Datacenters, including the one in Santa Teresa, are <a href=\"https:\/\/elpasoheraldpost.com\/2025\/09\/19\/a-165-billion-data-center-with-el-paso-connections-up-for-discussion-today-in-las-cruces-protestors-expected-to-protest-electric-and-water-usage-concerns\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">controversial<\/a> because of their electricity and water usage.<\/p>\n<p>Other notable campaign contributions made to Stout in the January 15 report included Jos\u00e9 and Carmen Rodriguez for $300. Jos\u00e9 Rodriguez is a longtime El Paso politician whose last elected office was state senator.<\/p>\n<p>Stout\u2019s largest expense was $3,408 paid to five people canvassing for his campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Miguel A. Teran<\/p>\n<p>Miguel A Teran, who is seeking Stout\u2019s seat in the Democratic primary, reported no campaign contributions in his latest campaign report, and $4,493.01 in campaign expenses. But, like Coronado\u2019s report, Teran\u2019s report is also incomplete.<\/p>\n<p>Although Teran\u2019s summary report sheet lists no campaign contributions, his reported itemized list shows five contributors making $3,050 in contributions to his campaign. The largest contribution was $1,500 from Jesse Favela.<\/p>\n<p>Teran\u2019s largest expense was $2,250 to Ernesto Gamboa for contract labor.<\/p>\n<p>Teran reported a $25,000 loan to his campaign but did not disclose the date and source of the loan in his report. He also reported not having any campaign funds left in his account, although his expenses do not reach the $25,000 he reported as a campaign loan.<\/p>\n<p>Like Us and Follow Us On Our Social Media!<\/p>\n<p>Visited 22 times, 22 visit(s) today<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EL PASO, Tx., February 5, 2026: The latest campaign finance reports were due on Monday. Incumbent Ricardo Samaniego&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":152201,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[57077,63034,19054,20747,138,140,139,63035,63036,36898,3497,57078,63037,39635,36907,4695,36911,63038,63039,36915,57079,63040,63041],"class_list":{"0":"post-152200","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-el-paso","8":"tag-annette-griego","9":"tag-carmen-rodriguez","10":"tag-chris-hernandez","11":"tag-david-stout","12":"tag-el-paso","13":"tag-el-paso-headlines","14":"tag-el-paso-news","15":"tag-el-paso-sheriffs-officers-association","16":"tag-ernesto-gamboa","17":"tag-guadalupe-giner","18":"tag-jose-rodriguez","19":"tag-leonard-arcos","20":"tag-mick-martinez","21":"tag-miguel-teran","22":"tag-minerva-torres-shelton","23":"tag-project-jupiter","24":"tag-ricardo-samaniego","25":"tag-richard-aguilar","26":"tag-sandra-v-marquez","27":"tag-sergio-coronado","28":"tag-stanley-jobe","29":"tag-ted-houghton","30":"tag-thomas-m-sistrunk"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152200"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152200\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}