Escobar Leads District 16 in Early Returns

Early voting results show several El Paso incumbents and candidates holding strong leads in local and state races.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

Escobar Leads District 16 in Early Returns

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Early voting results project winners in several El Paso races, with Veronica Escobar leading U.S. Representative District 16 with 73% of the vote. Runoffs are expected in City Council District 1 and District 8.

Why it matters

Early voting results are projections drawn from pre-Election Day ballots, and local El Paso outcomes historically move little from early returns. The projections set expectations for the December runoffs that will determine the final City Council District 8 seat.

Early voting results show Escobar at 73% in District 16, Niño at 69% in City Council District 6, and Samaniego at 70% in the county judge race. These figures are early-vote projections and do not include Election Day ballots, which could shift results.

The players

Veronica Escobar

Veronica Escobar is the U.S. Representative for El Paso's District 16, leading the field in her race with 73% of early votes.

Chris Canales

Chris Canales is a candidate for City Council District 8 who holds 35% of early votes and will face a December runoff.

Matthew Guzman

Matthew Guzman is a candidate for City Council District 8 with 25% of early votes, advancing to a December runoff against Canales.

The details

The El Paso Herald Post projected winners in several local and state races based on early voting results. Historically, local El Paso election outcomes show little movement from Election Day ballots, but the City Council District 1 and District 8 contests will proceed to runoffs.

Election Day was November 3, 2026, and these projections are based on early voting returns.
Runoff election for City Council District 8 is scheduled for December 2026.

Political Context

Historically, El Paso local election outcomes have shown little movement from early-vote totals to Election Day ballots, so these projections are likely to hold for most races. The projected runoffs in Council Districts 1 and 8 test whether that pattern extends to races where no candidate cleared a majority.

Residents of City Council Districts 1 and 8 will vote again in December to decide those seats, since no candidate won outright. Voters in the other projected races can expect those officials to take office based on current early returns.

The takeaway

Early voting often signals the final outcome in El Paso local races, but close contests like District 8 can still change before the December runoff. Following the runoff date helps residents keep track of who will represent their district.

What happens next

Runoff election for City Council District 8 between Chris Canales and Matthew Guzman is scheduled for December 2026, with a separate runoff in City Council District 1.