Of the Democratic candidates for El Paso County Sheriff, there are three serious contenders: Bobby Flores, Ryan Urrutia, and Oscar Ugarte.
ESCOBAR CAMPAIGNING FOR OSCAR UGARTE
Mr. Ugarte became a peace officer in 2005 and has served as Constable of Precinct 1 since 2019. He has raised $30,357 and had $9,944 on hand as of January 15.
Article XVI, Section 65(b) of the Texas Constitution makes clear that his announcement to run for Sheriff, confirmed by his appointment of a Campaign Treasurer on July 24, triggered his automatic resignation and should have resulted in a snap election to replace him; but the County instead reappointed him to his position without an election in apparent violation of Texas law.
Mr. Ugarte has received contributions from several progressive politicians and professionals. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar is campaigning for him hard and appears repeatedly on his social media platforms. Enough said.
RYAN URRUTIA APPEARING WITH SHERIFF WILES ON A BILLBOARD
Mr. Urrutia entered the El Paso Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy in 1998, rising through the ranks until he was appointed Commander in 2018. He has raised $100,130 and had $83,419 on hand as of January 15. He has received contributions from outgoing Sheriff Richard Wiles, the El Paso Sheriff’s Association ($5,000), and several prominent members of the business community. He has a distinguished record in law enforcement and has acquired a broad range of experience.
Mr. Urrutia has appeared in billboards alongside current Sheriff Richard Wiles in an anti-DWI campaign, with the phrase “EL PASO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE” displayed at bottom. While not illegal, the billboards nevertheless create the impression that he is using public resources to promote his political campaign.
BOBBY FLORES
Mr. Flores began work at the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in 1989 as a detention officer, rising to Assistant Chief in 2022 with purview over more than 300 officers and a budget of $37 million, and retiring last July. In 1993, he began a 17-year term of service on the SWAT team and was eventually promoted to Tactical Commander. After serving as Academy Training Director for both cadets and veteran employees, he was appointed to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative, overseeing investigators and a $21 million budget.
Mr. Flores has raised $101,639, more than any of his opponents, and had $8,141 on hand as of January 15. He has received contributions from former Congressman Silvestre Reyes, the El Paso Sheriff’s Association ($5,000), and several prominent members of the business community.
MINERVA TORRES-SHELTON
As for the Republican candidate, Minerva Shelton Torres, her campaign page and LinkedIn account offer few specifics about her career. However, it is clear that she spent most of her professional life as a Special Agent for the FBI, an honorable profession but far removed from the County Sheriff’s Office. She raised $6,365 in campaign contributions, of which she had $4,330 remaining as of January 15.
BOBBY FLORES FOR EL PASO COUNTY SHERIFF!
After reviewing the qualifications and campaign contributions of all the candidates for El Paso County Sheriff, it is clear to us that Bobby Flores is the most qualified. He is the longest serving and highest ranking peace officer seeking the position, has extensive experience managing large budgets, and has racked up impressive achievements in the course of his 34-year career in law enforcement.
In addition, Bob Moore of El Paso Matters personally wrote a hit-piece against him for wearing a cotton T-shirt that he found objectionable. Since Moore went out of his way to take a petty jab at Flores over an article of clothing hastily purchased by his wife at a rock concert, he must certainly be the best candidate for El Paso County Sheriff!
You may donate to his campaign here.