Seven candidates are running in the March Republican primary for Texas\u2019 16th Congressional District, vying to secure a nomination that would put them up against four-term Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar in November.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The crowded field is emerging as El Paso County\u2019s long Democratic stronghold saw an uptick in Republican voters in 2024 \u2013 though the race this year is shaped by political turbulence tied to the current administration.<\/p>\n
The Republican candidates for District 16, which represents most of El Paso County minus some portions of the Lower Valley and East Montana, are:<\/p>\n
Manuel J. Barraza, 70, former district court judge convicted on charges related to a bribery scheme; now works as a paralegal<\/p>\n
Adam Bauman, 49, Navy veteran and former Border Patrol agent who now runs a canine drug detection business<\/p>\n
Hector Cabildo, entrepreneur, didn\u2019t respond to requests for interviews<\/p>\n
Raul \u201cBullet\u201d Castaneda, 71, Navy veteran, teacher<\/p>\n
Marisela Chavez, 67, retired office manager<\/p>\n
Deiliris \u201cDMB\u201d Montanez, 55, retired Border Patrol agent and Army Reserve officer who ran unsuccessfully for Congress as an independent write-in candidate in 2024 and as a Democrat in 2022<\/p>\n
Ruben Arturo Rios, history teacher, didn\u2019t respond to requests for interviews<\/p>\n
Voting records show that five of the seven GOP candidates haven\u2019t voted in any Republican primary in El Paso in the past decade. The only exceptions are Rios and Chavez, and Chavez voted in the Democratic primary in 2024.<\/p>\n
If no candidate takes more than 50% of the votes, which is likely in such a crowded field, the top two vote-getters will move on to a runoff May 26.\u00a0<\/p>\n
SEE ALSO: Who\u2019s running? Republicans look to challenge El Paso Democratic stronghold in 2026 elections<\/a><\/p>\n The Republican nominee will face Escobar, who\u2019s seeking her fifth term unopposed in the Democratic primary, in the Nov. 3 midterms.\u00a0<\/p>\n The congresswoman\u2019s fundraising stands at over $616,000 in this election cycle, with her latest campaign filing showing more than $99,000 raised in the last reporting period from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025. That dwarfs the nearly $10,000 combined reported by two of the seven Republican candidates; the others reported either no funds raised or didn\u2019t file required reports with the Federal Election Commission.<\/p>\n National Republicans, who are trying to hold on to their narrow majority in the House of Representatives, haven\u2019t included Texas 16th Congressional District among their\u00a0 targets for defeating a Democratic incumbent<\/a>. In the 20th and 21st centuries, a Republican has only been elected once in El Paso\u2019s main congressional district \u2013 Ed Foreman in 1962.<\/p>\n As Republicans in 2024 made deep inroads<\/a> among Hispanics nationwide \u2013 including in El Paso \u2013 Escobar for the first time in her Congressional campaigns received less than 60% of the vote.<\/p>\n With President Donald Trump\u2019s controversial first year into his second term, only about a quarter of Americans (27%) say they support all or most of Trump\u2019s policies and plans, according to a Pew Research Center survey<\/a> in January. That\u2019s down from 35% compared with when he returned to office last year \u2013 a decrease that has come entirely among Republicans, the Pew survey shows.<\/p>\n The candidate elected to office will be sworn into the 120th Congress in early January 2027. U.S. representatives serve two-year terms and are paid $174,000 a year. District 16 is among the 435 House and 33 Senate seats up for election this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Early voting for the March 3 primary begins Tuesday, Feb. 17, and runs through Friday, Feb. 27.<\/p>\n Manuel Barraza<\/p>\n In 2010, Barraza was sentenced to five years in federal prison after a jury convicted him on multiple counts \u2013 including wire fraud and deprivation of honest services<\/a> \u2013 for accepting cash and other bribes in exchange for using his judicial influence in a felony case. Prosecutors showed he solicited and accepted bribes, including cash and sexual favors, tied to his official actions. He served four years in prison and was disbarred<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a recent interview with El Paso Matters, he called the charges a political hit job and alleged jury misconduct in his trial.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere was never any favor done for anyone,\u201d Barraza said, but then added that the people of El Paso are forgiving and allow for second chances.<\/p>\n Barraza, who said he now works as a paralegal, said he brings an understanding of complex legislation to the table and an insight into the justice system from the \u201cother side.\u201d He cited jail reform as one of his priorities, alleging nepotism is unfairly allowing family and friends to work together as directors, guards and other staff.<\/p>\n He also cited health care as a top priority, saying he would support a universal health care system funded by reallocating money from foreign aid and expanding the government accountability department to find savings in other areas.<\/p>\n \u201cWe work to support the world,\u201d he said about aid to Ukraine and other countries. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t seem right. It doesn\u2019t seem fair that we should bear the cost to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n He cited other examples of what he called taxpayer waste, including that U.S. dollars were being used for circumcisions in Africa, that bridges that went nowhere were being built and that migrants were receiving Walmart gift cards worth thousands of dollars.\u00a0<\/p>\n Funding for voluntary medical male circumcisions was part of a longrunning HIV prevention program in Africa that historically had bipartisan support, which Barraza said needed to be looked into. The \u201cbridge to nowhere\u201d phrase comes from a proposed bridge in an Alaskan island of 50 residents that received funding earmarks in 2005, becoming symbolic of wasteful allocations that benefit few in a legislator\u2019s district or state. While the project was canceled, Barraza said he would ensure no other such projects receive federal funding.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some cities and nonprofits provided short-term aid such as food, shelter and hygiene products for recently arrived migrants during an influx in 2023 \u2013 sometimes paid by the cities or organizations themselves or reimbursed by FEMA\u2019s Shelter and Services Programs. Barraza also said he was concerned about the million-dollar contracts given to transportation companies during the influx of migrants to transport them across the country after being processed by Border Patrol and allowed to remain in the country temporarily. Both the federal government and state government in Texas ran programs to bus migrants out of the border region.<\/p>\n When asked about the millions now going to companies to build detention centers and conduct deportation flights, Barraza said they were necessary for immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n He said while he wouldn\u2019t support defunding the police \u2013 or ICE \u2013 he doesn\u2019t support police brutality and abuse of authority. He said he would support better training and accountability for all law enforcement agencies, but didn\u2019t offer details.<\/p>\n Barraza didn\u2019t file any campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n CANDIDATE Q&A: 5 questions for candidates in March primary contested races<\/a><\/p>\n Adam Bauman<\/p>\n Bauman, who retired from the Navy and later the Border Patrol, now owns and operates a canine narcotics detention business. He also hosts a podcast, \u201cThe Adam Bauman Show,\u201d in which he talks about being passionate about politics.<\/p>\n El Paso Matters didn\u2019t secure an interview with Bauman and he did not submit a candidate questionnaire. The Federal Election Commission<\/a> doesn\u2019t show that he filed any campaign finance reports.<\/p>\n In an April 2025 podcast, Sun City SITREP, Bauman states he was born in Phoenix, came to El Paso when stationed here with Border Patrol in 2001. He said he always saw himself as a patriot and supports law enforcement.<\/p>\n On his campaign website, Bauman lists his priorities as working to make \u201cproperty taxes more affordable,\u201d cutting the red tape for veteran benefits, and providing resources to help local and small businesses thrive. He also states he\u2019s committed to supporting CBP\u2019s mission \u201cto protect our border and keep El Paso safe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n His website also states he\u2019d support \u201cwomen only sports\u201d and \u201cwomen only restrooms,\u201d as well as reducing insurance premiums \u201cwithout the federal government subsidizing these costs.\u201d<\/p>\n He doesn\u2019t provide details on how he\u2019d accomplish any of those goals.<\/p>\n Hector Miguel Cabildo<\/p>\n Cabildo, who called himself an entrepreneur in his filing for office, didn\u2019t respond to requests for interviews or a candidate questionnaire from El Paso Matters.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cabildo on his campaign website lists guaranteeing veteran benefits, bringing specialized jobs to El Paso and bringing funds to El Paso to facilitate visa processes for immigrants as top priorities. He didn\u2019t expand on the priorities or how he\u2019d implement them.\u00a0<\/p>\n On Facebook<\/a>, Cabildo said it was \u201ctime to bring God back into our government\u201d but didn\u2019t expand on how his beliefs would translate to legislation other than to say decisions would be based \u201con God.\u201d<\/p>\n His campaign finance reports show he raised $4,120 and spent $4,099 through Dec. 31. He received a $3,500 donation from Larry Wollslager, a self-employed geologist Wolf Energy.<\/p>\n Raul Castaneda<\/p>\n Castaneda, whose nickname \u201cBullet\u201d derives from his Navy call sign, said his time in the service and serving as an altar boy at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Segundo Barrio taught him commitment and structure.<\/p>\n The retired Navy pilot later served as an electronics instructor in Bernalillo, New Mexico.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest thing I have going for me is being a veteran,\u201d he said. \u201cIf I get elected, I\u2019m going to ask to be put on the Armed Forces Committee.\u201d<\/p>\n Castaneda said he would work to bring a full Veterans Affairs regional office to El Paso for benefits-related services. The VA Waco Regional Office currently serves El Paso, which has a satellite branch as well as a county-run veteran\u2019s assistance program.<\/p>\n \u201cI would throw more money at the VA director, but I\u2019m also not afraid to go talk to any president about it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Castaneda said he would like to see the federal government put more money into helping homeless veterans rather than helping \u201cthe illegals.\u201d<\/p>\n When it comes to immigration, Castaneda said he has a seven-year plan that includes stricter border enforcement as well as a path to citizenship for immigrants \u201cwho play by the rules.\u201d But, he said, he didn\u2019t want to disclose because other candidates \u201cmight steal it and take credit for it.\u201d<\/p>\n He said he worked for a private contractor running the migrant Tornillo detention center in 2018-19, where he saw migrants \u201cdoing nothing\u201d while employees worked to provide them food and wash their clothes. \u201cIt\u2019s not a Marriott,\u201d he said. Castaneda earlier this year made a Marriott reference on Instagram<\/a>, criticizing Escobar\u2019s calls to close down Camp East Montana, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center at Fort Bliss.<\/p>\n To help improve the region\u2019s economy, Castaneda said he would work to bring a car factory with good pay and benefits to the community.<\/p>\n \u201cI would go over and say, \u2018Elon Musk, let\u2019s close down your factory in California where you\u2019re having a lot of problems with that sanctuary city and let\u2019s bring it right here to Northeast El Paso,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Among his other priorities, he said, is improving education through the use of school vouchers and pushing for core values where parents are involved in their children\u2019s school and religious upbringing.\u00a0<\/p>\n Castaneda said he supports putting the Ten Commandments in classrooms as a national mandate because \u201cwe pledge allegiance to one nation under God.\u201d He said more federal dollars need to go to public schools \u201cwho are doing it right,\u201d but didn\u2019t expand on how he would measure that.<\/p>\n He also said if elected, he would not serve more than two terms.<\/p>\n The FEC website shows he did not file a campaign finance report. He said his campaign \u201ctakes care of that stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n